Digital Kingdom Hearts
by RedDragonforce 1
Summary: What would happen if Takuya's world was taken over by Darkness as he was trying to get back to his friends? He joins Sora's group. Can the new group of four save the worlds and defeat organization 13? Read and find out. Give it a chance, please. R&R.
1. From One Digital World to Another

Okay guys, here's something that I'm probably nuts for doing.

Dx: No kidding. The idea before was bad enough, but now you're going to add this??

RDF1: Not many people can write a Fanfiction for Kingdom Hearts that follow a whole game. I'm gonna attempt it, with some changes of my own.

PyroDragoon: You have any idea how long that's gonna take?

Jenny: Not to mention the chapters, characters, and other stuff. Do you have any idea how to do this story??

RDF1: It's a work in progress. I'm gonna follow a play through by a Youtube player to work off of. If you want to follow along, use Pacey8444's walkthrough.

Alright, here's how it gonna work. I'm doing a crossover: Digimon and Kingdom hearts. Now before you completely write this off as another botched attempt, give it some time and thought. I don't know for myself if this will work or not, but we'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Digimon or Kingdom Hearts. I don't own any of the characters, except my own that I have already mentioned in previous fics.

Let's go to work.

(Story Begin)

(Digimon Universe)

"All aboard," said Dark Trailmon, allowing Flamon to step aboard his train.

As he took off down the tunnel, and into the portal to the Digital World, a great earthquake shook.

"What's going on??" asked Takura.

A white light filled his vision, and he knew no more.

* * *

Roxas stood before the container that held a sleeping Sora inside.

"Looks like my Summer Vacation's over," said Roxas, moving towards Sora slowly.

'More to the point, you're our only hope at stopping the rest of Organization 13. Until we meet again, Sora,' added Roxas in thought as he merged himself with Sora.

(Time Change)

"Sora??" asked Donald.

Sora opened his eyes; he looked around, to find himself within a container. The container opened up seconds later, allowing Sora to jump out.

"DONALD!! GOOFY!!" shouted Sora, hugging them both.

"That was some nap," said Jiminy Cricket, the scribe for their journey.

"We were asleep??" asked Sora.

"It would explain our lack of reflexes right now," said Jiminy.

"When did we go to sleep?" asked Goofy.

"Let's see," said Sora, thinking back, "We defeated Ansem, restored peace to the worlds, found Kairi, and then we went to look for Riku. I think that's right so far."

"But along the way," said another voice, "You found yourself somewhere where you fell asleep. It's been nearly a year since you were last awake."

The three of them turned to face whoever it was. The one who spoke looked to be no older than Sora was, but he looked like nothing they had ever seen before. The guy had red hair down to the middle of his back; at his forehead were two stubs of horns that looked like they had been cut off. His green eyes showed something wild about him, but masked some intelligence within. He had no shirt on, but a white mark that looked to be a birthmark on the left side of his chest, a similar mark under his eyes to match. He had fingerless gloves with short claws on the end of hands. His pants were red with the buckle of his belts holding the Japanese Kanji of Fire. His feet were three toed and to complete the look, he had a tail made of solid flame.

"Hey, the name's Takuya, but you can call me Flamon in this form."

"And what exactly are you??" asked Sora.

"I've wondered that myself from time to time, " replied Takuya/Flamon, "Right now, we need to get out of here."

So, Takuya led them down the passageway and out of the mansion.

"So, who are you exactly? You're not telling us everything," spoke up Sora as they walked through the forest towards town.

"Well, a few days ago I was heading off to help my friends battle to save our world when the transport I was on started shaking. A white light enveloped everything around me and I fell unconscious," started Takuya before stopping just before town, "Just so you know, I don't always look like this."

Data wrapped around him, and he turned into a new form. This one was human looking. His red hair had turned brown, and was under a hat with Goggles on it. He had a yellow t-shirt under an opened red shirt. His gloves were full and his red pants turned green. His feet were now covered with red and yellow shoes. His eyes were no longer green, but now brown, showing a small amount of innocence left in addition to the intelligence.

"Like I said before, I'm Takuya. I was asked to join you guys when you woke up. I've been waiting for about 10 hours now."

"That long?" asked Goofy.

"Yep, but let's get going. I'm gonna show you guys around before we head out."

And without waiting for a response, Takuya walked off, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy to catch up. As they got closer to 'the Usual Spot', Sora stopped, taking in the 'familiar' sights.

"I think I've been here before."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't be the one to ask," said Takuya, heading inside.

They saw three people inside, looking bored and wanting something to break the monotony.

"Hey guys," said Takuya.

"Takuya, right?" asked Hayner, the leader of the three, "Who's your friends?"

"This is Sora, Donald and Goofy," said Takuya.

"Name's Hayner," said Hayner, "This is Pence and Olette."

"We hate leave to leave so fast, but we got last minute studies to do," apologized Olette, "By the way, Takuya, a mouse stopped by a few hours ago. He said to take Sora, Donald and Goofy to the Train Station."

"Thanks for that," said Takuya, before turning to the others, "Looks like we're heading to the Train Station."

So, they headed out for the Train Station, Takuya leading the way.

"So, why would the King want you to bring us to the Train Station?" asked Donald.

"Don't know; he probably wants to give you something. We'll find out when we get there."

(AN1)

As they neared the Train Station, Nobody Dusks appeared. Donald and Goofy readied their weapons.

"Oh yeah," said Sora, taking out his Kingdom Key, "Thanks for bringing us STRAIGHT INTO A TRAP!!"

"Shut up," said Takuya, turning into Flamon, "Like I knew these guys were here?"

They all began fighting the Dusks, Goofy using his shield, Donald using his magic, and Sora using his Keyblade. Takuya focused power into his tail, and it lengthened into a whip, and he swung it around with precision, taking out about three or four of them. The others weren't faring as well. Soon they were surrounded. Takuya wanted to charge in, but stopped himself as he saw a dark blur jump off the roof, moving faster than he could. With a Keyblade that was the color opposite of the Kingdom Key, the King's Crown, King Mickey took down the remaining Nobodies. Takuya ran up to Mickey and bonked him on the head.

"I _had_ that handled, you know," said Takuya, turning back to his human form.

Mickey rubbed his head; Takuya was a handful, which was why he was sending him with Sora. He turned to Takuya and gave him a small pouch full of munny. "I know, but now's not the time to argue. Just get on the train and go. Yen Sid will be waiting."

Takuya gave the munny to Sora, as Mickey fled off in the distance in a hurry.

"Your Majesty!!" called out Donald after the King.

"Don't worry about him," said Takuya, "He can take care of himself. We need to get aboard that train."

As they entered the station, a voice called after them.

"Wait up!" shouted Hayner, who arrived with Pence and Olette beside him.

"What is it?" asked Sora.

"Nothing, but…" started Hayner.

"We came to see you off," followed Pence, "It just felt right."

"Thanks guys," said Sora, hesitantly.

A bell rang, signaling the Train was arriving soon.

"Better get your tickets," said Olette.

Sora pulled out the pouch that the King gave them. Olette recognized, and the others heard her.

"What is it?" asked Donald.

"That pouch," said Olette, pulling out her own "It looks like mine."

"Probably just a coincidence," said Takuya.

(AN2)

The seven of them walked up the stairs and saw the train Sora's group was gonna get on. The doors opened for them. Sora turned to say goodbye to them as Takuya, Donald, and Goofy headed on inside.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" asked Hayner.

"Positive," replied Sora, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," replied Hayner.

Sora smiled to them the same way Roxas did to their counterparts in the Digital Version of Twilight town. A tear escaped Sora's eye, and ran down his cheek before Sora caught it.

(AN3)

"You okay?" asked Olette, concerned for their new friend.

"I'm fine," said Sora, "Don't know where it came from."

"Pull it together," joked Hayner.

"Right. Catch ya later," said Sora, as he finally boarded the train.

As the train left, Pence turned to the other two.

"I don't know why, but I think we're gonna see them again," he said.

"I think we all feel the same way," said Hayner.

"Let's get going," said Olette, "We need to get our homework finished if we're gonna pass our independent studies."

The three friends walked off, looking forward to seeing their newest friend again soon.

(AN4)

* * *

Inside the train as it was leaving Twilight Town, Sora took out the pouch, and reached inside it to retrieve a blue glass sphere.

"Ya know," said Sora, getting the other's attention, "I'm sad."

'And I know why,' thought Takuya, 'I wish I could tell him though.'

"We'll be back," said Donald, attempting to cheer Sora up.

"Yeah," said Goofy, "We can visit Hayner, Pence, and Olette again."

A white flash showed around the windows, before being replaced by a night sky, the stars shining everywhere; this signaled that they had left the world of Twilight Town behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Twilight Town, Axel walked to the edge of the hill, where a wooden fence blocked anyone from falling over.

"Well, he's back. Sora's returned, and we are the one's responsible for it."

"It was necessary," said the other figure in a similar dark cloak to him, "He needs to save the worlds again, after all."

"Yes," said Namine, "But was it right, what we did to Roxas and Xion?"

"That doesn't matter now," said the figure, "Everything will turn out alright in the long run. I just know it."

"I lost my two best friends, and you say it's going to be alright!?" demanded Axel.

"Why do you care? I thought Nobodies didn't have a heart?"

"Doesn't mean we don't care about anything," replied Axel, before sighing, "Let's just hope your making the right call. Come on, Namine."

Axel opened a portal of Darkness for him and Namine to travel through.

"We'll be waiting," she said, before walking through the portal.

Axel followed, leaving the figure alone on the hill.

The figure looked out to where Yen Sid's tower was, even though he couldn't see it, and said, "Good luck, Sora."

(AN5)

* * *

The train stopped before Yen Sid's tower, floating out some distance from Twilight Town on its own. The group of four departed and Sora looked back in time to see the train disappear in a flash of light.

"There goes our ride," said Sora.

They headed up to the front door, only to see someone trying to open it. This was Pete, who was a resident of the world of Disney Castle, before King Mickey had him banished for meddling with those using the Darkness for evil purposes, like Maleficent.

"What's going on here?" asked Donald.

"I've sent some of my minions inside to see if the Master of this Castle is as great as everyone back home says he is. Once he's a heartless, then I'll have myself the perfect bodyguard."

"Heartless!!" shouted Donald.

"That's the darkness inside people's hearts given form. Maleficent is waiting for me to gather a bunch a heartless from across the worlds. Then she can take over everything."

"I don't think that's going to work," said Takuya.

"And what makes you say that," said Pete, turning around, "It's YOU!!"

Pete recognized Donald and Goofy, as they did him.

"Pete!?"

"What are you lamebrains doing here?" demanded Pete.

"We could ask the same of you!" countered Donald.

"How did you get out of that dimension King Mickey banished you to??" asked Goofy.

"Maleficent," said Pete, "And she's going to help me conquer all the world out there."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy chuckled at the thought of Maleficent, and how they defeated her a year ago.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," said Takuya, who didn't know who Maleficent was.

"It's funny," said Sora, "This guy's expecting help from a dead witch."

"That's not right. Maleficent can't be gone!" shouted Pete.

"Well, she is," said Goofy.

"You did that?!"

"I don't like to brag, but yeah. We defeated her," said Sora.

(AN6)

"HEARTLESS!!!" shouted Pete.

Heartless started appearing out of the ground. Sora, Donald and Goofy took them out in under a minute.

"That can't be!"

'And to think, they haven't fought Heartless in a year,' thought Takuya, who didn't need to battle the 'small' squad of Heartless that appeared.

"What's so important about this place anyways?" asked Sora.

"This is Yen Sid's Tower! Though, he's probably a Heartless by now, so I wouldn't worry about him as much as yourselves!!"

Donald raced in first, and Takuya took off after him.

"Yen Sid was the one who taught Mickey when he was younger," informed Goofy.

"Wow," said Sora, immediately impressed with this Yen Sid.

Sora and Goofy raced after Donald and Takuya, leaving Pete alone, frustrated that they had forgotten about him.

* * *

Inside, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Flamon raced up the stairs, taking out the Heartless that appeared on their way up. About halfway up…

"With all these Heartless around, it looks like we haven't done a thing to bring peace to the worlds," said Donald.

"Yeah, but some of the worlds that were consumed by Darkness have returned since then," said Takuya.

"And others have been taken," replied Sora, reminding Takuya of his own world.

"Yeah, I know," said Takuya, a frown appearing on his face.

"Let's get moving," said Goofy, "We need to see if Master Yen Sid is alright."

When they got to the top, Master Yen Sid was alright, as he was sitting at his desk as if nothing was wrong that wasn't being handled. Donald and Goofy immediately bowed before the only one who held higher authority than King Mickey in Disney Castle.

"Master Yen Sid, I'm glad we found you in good health. It's an honor…" started Donald, before Sora interrupted.

"Hey there," said Sora.

"Nice to see you're not a Heartless," added Takuya.

"Sora, Takuya!!" said an angry Donald, "Show some respect, and tact!"

Master Yen Sid quickly placated them with a silent gesture.

"So, you are Sora," said Master Yen Sid, "Now then, have you seen the King yet?"

"For a few moments, in Twilight Town," responded Sora, "He told us to come here before rushing off again."

"He has been rather busy lately, my former student. I guess that leaves the business of bringing you up to date on my terms."

Yen Sid then explained the connection Sora had, and the journey he must embark upon.

'I'll bet there's more to it than just the one's I know of,' thought Takuya.

(AN7)

After some time reading up on what Yen Sid had given them, they're conversation turned to the enemies they had to face.

"Heartless still wander," informed Yen Sid, "Even though they are fewer in number, as long as Darkness exists, so will the Heartless."

"So, we just gotta make sure the hearts are filled with light," summed up Goofy.

Yen Sid then informed them about Nobodies, the shells of the bodies when the Hearts become Heartless, the shells become Nobodies. The strongest of them being Organization 13.

(AN8)

"Now, before you leave," said Yen Sid, "I suggest you get new traveling clothes, as those look a bit small on you.

"Head through there," continued Yen Sid, gesturing towards the door to his left, "Three Good Witches are there, and if you ask nicely, they will design more appropriate garments for you."

As the three went through the door, Yen Sid turned to Takuya.

"I believe you are looking for answers as to why you are here, yet your friends are not."

"The thought had crossed my mind," said Takuya.

"As your world is split into two sides, both had to fall at the same time for the Heart of the World to be consumed by Darkness. As you were not in either world, the resulting force sent you away from the world, and into Twilight Town. That is where you met the King, was it not?"

"Yeah," said Takuya, turning into Flamon, "This is how I looked when I crossed over, and it was thanks to the King that I managed to get control over changing between them. I know I'm not supposed to tell him, but he needs to know."

"That is for someone else to decide," said Yen Sid, as Sora and the others returned, Sora supporting a new outfit and another Keyblade.

"Not bad, Sora," said Takuya, not missing a beat, "Let's get going."

"But what about transport?" asked Donald.

"I believe these two will be able to help you out," said Yen Sid, as a Gummy Ship floated to the window.

"Hey guys," said Chip and Dale, the pilots of the Gummy Ship.

"Ready to go?" asked Sora.

"Not just yet," said Yen Sid, getting their attention, "The old roads have disappeared. But, if the King is right, then new roads have made themselves known to the Gummy Ships so they can safely travel between worlds."

"Well," said Sora, "That just means the Adventure won't get boring."

"Really?" said Takuya, skeptical.

"There's one thing that's not accepted on the Gummy Ship," said Donald.

"What's that?" asked Takuya, a frown appearing on his face.

"FROWNS!!" shouted Donald, knocking Takuya off his feet, "The Gummy Ship can only run on smiles!"

"Well, then you won't have a problem," said Takuya, recovering, "Smiles rarely leave my face."

Takuya smiled a big smile just to prove it.

"Time to get out of here," said Goofy.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," said Donald.

"We'll see you again," finished Sora.

"Later, Yen Sid," said Takuya, jumping out of the window and into the ship, surprising the others at in the Tower.

The others exited the tower the regular way, not knowing that an old friend, rather enemy, was returning to the world of the living.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Gummy Ship.

"Howdy guys," said Dale.

"We haven't seen you guys in months. Where've you been?"

"Couldn't tell you," said Sora, unsure himself.

"Who's the new guy?" asked Dale.

"Name's Takuya," replied Takuya, "Newest member here."

They looked at the map of the world(s) they could travel to, and only found one. Luckily, this world was Hollow Bastion, a place they had been to before.

* * *

They disembarked onto a newly refurbished Hollow Bastion.

"This is Hollow Bastion??" wondered Sora.

"Looks kind of different," remarked Goofy.

"It's been a year," said Takuya, "After Maleficent left, everyone was able to start rebuilding things here. At least, that's what I was told."

"Let's check in on Leon and the others," suggested Donald.

"Let's go," said Sora.

On the way there, they met up with Scrooge McDuck, Donald's uncle. Scrooge loves munny, but what rivaled that currently was the Sea Salt Ice Cream that he recently bought.

(AN9)

As they walked through the down, the town's defense system was running a sweep over their area, but they didn't know that until an old friend, Yuffie, told them. Nobodies showed up, forcing them to battle them. Takuya turned into Flamon to help them battle. As they finished up, Yuffie jumped down to greet them.

"Looks like you haven't lost your touch," said Yuffie, "Who's the new guy?"

"What d'you expect?" replied Sora, "This is Takuya."

"Nice to meet you," said Takuya.

"Same here," said Yuffie, "Name's Yuffie."

"How are Leon and the others?" asked Donald.

"About the same," said Yuffie.

"Have you seen the King or Riku?" asked Sora.

"Nope," said Yuffie, heading off back to base, "But I had a feeling I'd be seeing you guys again."

"'We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other,'" said Sora in imitation of Leon.

"Is that supposed to be Leon?" asked Yuffie, giggling, "Everyone's at Merlin's house. Come on."

She ran on ahead to tell everyone else about the return of Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya made their way through the streets, finding their way to Merlin's house and battling Heartless along the way. Sora merged with Goofy into Valor Form for some extra power. Before they entered, Sora reverted back to normal.

"Not bad," said Takuya, changing back from Flamon, "I can see how that can be useful on this trip."

"Well, before we go anywhere, let's check up on our old friends."

So they entered Merlin's house, looking forward to meeting old friends.

When they entered, Yuffie announced their entrance by introducing them to the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Looking at the back of the room, they saw Leon and Aerith standing close by to Cid, who was doing tech work on the computer. All three of them turned around to greet the newcomers

"We missed you," said Aerith.

"Well, ain't you in top shape," added Cid.

"I knew it," finished Leon, his fears confirmed.

"Knew what?" asked Sora.

"About a week ago, everyone started to remember you three," explained Leon, "All at the same time."

"You forgot us!?" complained Sora, remembering what Leon said, given that he imitated it just minutes ago.

"Where have you been?" asked Yuffie.

"Don't know," said Goofy, "Sleeping apparently."

"Where, in cold storage?" quipped Cid.

"Well, they're back. That's what matters," said Takuya.

"And you are?" asked/demanded Leon.

"Takuya, at your service," said Takuya.

"We'll need it," said Cid.

"Hollow Bastion hasn't fully recovered from when Maleficent took over," said Leon.

"Heartless are still around, right? Not mention Nobodies have been popping up," guessed Sora.

"Got it in one," said Yuffie.

"Then there's no need to beat around the bush," said Leon, "We need some help around here and you three are the best ones to deal with it."

"Like we need to answer?" quipped Sora.

"I forgot who I'm dealing with," said Leon, before turning to Takuya.

"Like I'm gonna run from a fight," said Takuya.

Leon walked out to head on to the bailey, where the trouble was getting worse. As he left, Merlin popped in.

"I thought it was you, right on time. And nice to meet you too, Takuya," greeted Merlin.

Takuya turned to look at Sora, who shrugged.

"You get used to it," commented Sora, as the four of them went to talk to Merlin.

"They've agreed to help out," said Yuffie.

"Splendid," replied Merlin, "Did you give them the cards?"

"Not yet," replied Yuffie.

Aerith brought out three cards and gave them to Sora Donald and Goofy.

"Sorry, Takuya, we didn't expect you. We'll be sure to have one soon for you," apologized Aerith.

"I'm gonna have to get used to that, aren't I?" asked Takuya.

"I would say so," replied Merlin.

"Let's get going," said Sora.

They headed out to find the Bailey, after Merlin gave Sora the Blizzard element to use once more. They battled more Heartless on the way, Sora getting practice on his magic, before arriving at the Bailey. Leon was waiting when they got there. He showed them the problem they were facing in the distance. Sora and Goofy brought him up to speed with what they knew so far. At the mentioning of Organization 13, a voice rung out.

"You called," spoke a deep voice, evil cloaking around it.

"You're doing well," said another voice.

"This calls for a celebration," added the first voice.

Nobody Dusks were appearing and the Defense System closed the gate at the Bailey for protection.

Takuya transformed into Flamon, while Sora summoned his Keyblade, and Leon his gunblade. They battled the Nobodies, but the ones Flamon was fighting were giving him more trouble. Flamon lured them outside, focused power into his tail again and used it as a whip to knock them back, causing serious damage. A quick Blizzard spell from Sora finished them off.

"The Keyblade," said the first voice again, "a remarkable weapon. If only it were in more… capable hands."

Other voices laughed at that statement.

"Show yourselves," shouted Sora, running outside.

As Sora joined Takuya, back in human form, outside, several portals of darkness appeared and six men in black robes appeared out of them.

"Organization 13!!" shouted Goofy, who had joined them along with Donald.

"Good," declared Sora, "Now we can settle this."

"That's not a good idea at this point," said Takuya.

"I'd listen to him if I were you" spoke their leader, "It's such a shame, as I thought we might be friends."

The others laughed as they exited the same way they entered.

"Stop!!" shouted Donald, running around to try and get in range for a magic attack.

They were stopped by one of the Organization, who appeared in front of them.

"What's the big idea?" demanded Donald.

"Oppsie daisy," replied the man, a slight accent on his voice.

"MOVE!" shouted Sora.

"Now, do you think that's polite?" asked the man, "shutting me down like that."

"Like you would know polite, Xigbar," said Takuya, walking up to him.

"Get out of the way," continued Sora, as if he didn't hear Takuya.

"As if," replied Xigbar, "You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing."

"Let's skip the chatter and get straight to the fighting then," challenged Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector.

"Like you can beat me," said Xigbar, "Maybe if I was just a regular dude, maybe. But I'm in the Organization; nothing 'regular' about me."

"Does it matter?" asked Sora.

"Oh it does," said Xigbar, "Let me remind you just how powerful we really are."

"Like we've met before," quipped Sora.

"Wow," said Xigbar, "And that look hasn't change a bit. Looks like the memory a bit fuzzy though. Be a good boy now, and keep bringing us those hearts."

Xigbar disappeared before they could do anything.

"What did mean by 'bringing us those hearts'?" asked Goofy.

"He's just trying to mess with us," said Takuya, knowing otherwise. He put his D-Tector back in his pocket.

Sora brought out the card again, only for it to glow. Sora used his Keyblade to unlock the next pathway.

"Looks like we need to get going," said Sora.

"Don't worry," said Leon, "You'll be back. I just know it."

"Same here," said Sora, giving a smile, before turning to the others, "The Gummy Ship is waiting."

"Let's go," said Takuya, and the four of them rushed off.

They returned to the Gummy ship and took off for the first world they were traveling to. They're journey having only begun.

(Chapter End)

Yep, I'm gonna stop there, because that's covering a lot, even though it really doesn't.

Here's the thing, after each Chapter, I'm gonna do some character bios. This is only what I know, so if I'm wrong, or am missing some information, don't lose your head over it. I'm gonna cover all the forms Sora takes in the next chapter, and what Keyblades he's going to use with each form.

Okay, let's do it.

* * *

Name: Sora

(No last name that's known)

Occupation: Keyblade Wielder, World Savior

Current Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker

Drives: Valor

* * *

Name: Takuya Kanbara

Occupation: Digital World Legendary Warrior

Current Spirits: Fire (Human and Beast)

Keyblade: none

Alternate forms: Flamon

* * *

Name: Donald Duck

Occupation: Mage of Disney Castle

Keyblade: None

Weapon of choice: Staff for channeling magic

* * *

Name: Goofy Goof

Occupation: Captain of the Guard of Disney Castle

Keyblade: None

Weapon of Choice: Shield for deflecting blows and physical attacks.

* * *

AN1: Takuya doesn't know everything, you guys. He only knows some things. Considering how it's going to be, I'll have him clueless at some points just to keep that part of his personality in there.

AN2: Like any of us believe that.

AN3: Looks like Roxas remembers his friends, even though they are the same as the ones he knew.

AN4: Yeah, we'll see you after visiting a dozen or so other worlds.

AN5: I haven't seen an English translation for this, so I went with this.

AN6: Like Sora's humble in the least.

AN7: Goes back to what I said, Takuya only knows about some people. He doesn't know about Terra, Aqua, or Ventus. Only a few people, like Mickey and Hercules know them at this point.

AN8: Or what's left of them after what's happened over the past year.

AN9: Thought I'd give Scrooge this, because he's an interesting character to me and I like him. Better than the awful stuff in the original.

That's all for now. More will come in the later chapters.

Hopefully this won't be too bad. I will be going in and out of regular conversation to add in Takuya to the mix.

Until next chapter…

Later,

RDF1


	2. Two Worlds and Two Evolutions

Alright guys, since the first chapter is up and running, why make you guys wait for the second chapter?

Dx: You're not going to do this every day, are you??

RDF1: Not really. Though I will try to keep track of where I am from the playthrough.

Also, to explain Takuya's mysterious age progression is that he was aged to 15 to match his age with Sora's. Also, he would be a more coordinated fighter that way. So, yeah, that's the explanation I'm giving.

I told you I would put up the Drive Forms and the Keyblades that are going to them, and that's up next.

Normal: Ultima (When it's obtainable)

Valor: Fatal Crest and Hero's Crest

Wisdom: Star Seeker

Master: Sleeping Lion and Fenrir (Master is like a stronger version of Valor, and thus needing stronger Keyblades)

Limit: Kingdom Key (because it matches the refurbished KH1 outfit)

Final: Oblivion and Oathkeeper (Like anything else would truly fit)

Final Twilight (this is an idea of mine, using Riku and Kairi instead of Donald and Goofy): Way to the Dawn and Destiny Place

(Yeah, I thought it was Flowering Strength because of the look, but it's Destiny Place, kind of goes with Destiny Islands, right?)

Also, bonus if I can swing it right: Dual-Wielding Riku. For all you Riku fans, I might add in a Dual-Wield for Riku with Way to the Dawn and Soul Eater.

As for Takuya, he's a bit more difficult to work with, as his adventure here won't mean a thing back in the Digital World, as his Fusion, Unified, and Ancient Spirit evolutions won't be reactivated until the way they do in the anime. Not even sure if I'm gonna add Susanoomon to the mix yet. Will figure it out along the way.

It's time for the next chapter to begin.

Disclaimer: Same as always, check the first chapter for details.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

"_Let's skip the chatter and get straight to the fighting then," challenged Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector._

"_Like you can beat me," said Xigbar, "Maybe if I was just a regular dude, maybe. But I'm in the Organization; nothing 'regular' about me."_

"_Does it matter?" asked Sora._

"_Oh it does," said Xigbar, "Let me remind you just how powerful we really are."_

"_Like we've met before," quipped Sora._

"_Wow," said Xigbar, "And that look hasn't change a bit. Looks like the memory a bit fuzzy though. Be a good boy now, and keep bringing us those hearts."_

_Xigbar disappeared before they could do anything._

"_What did mean by 'bringing us those hearts'?" asked Goofy._

"_He's just trying to mess with us," said Takuya, knowing otherwise. He put his D-Tector back in his pocket._

_Sora brought out the card again, only for it to glow. Sora used his Keyblade to unlock the next pathway._

"_Looks like we need to get going," said Sora._

"_Don't worry," said Leon, "You'll be back. I just know it."_

"_Same here," said Sora, giving a smile, before turning to the others, "The Gummy Ship is waiting."_

"_Let's go," said Takuya, and the four of them rushed off._

_They returned to the Gummy ship and took off for the first world they were traveling to. They're journey having only begun._

(Recap End)

(The Land of Dragons)

Sora and the gang found themselves walking through a bamboo forest when they heard voices talking. They noticed someone in armor looking nervous/frightened and a tall shadow looking menacing against a slab of rock.

"Heartless?" wondered Donald.

Sora nodded in agreement.

"Let's get the jump on 'em," said Sora.

"What's that old saying I'm trying to think of??" asked Takuya, thinking.

"Shouldn't we look before we leap?" guessed Goofy.

So, Sora and Donald rushed in, screaming their heads off, scaring both of the characters in the clearing. They recognized one of them.

"Mushu!" said the three of them.

"That's right!" exclaimed Mushu, being the fast-talker as he is, "I know you heard of me! I'm little, lethal, and legendary!! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!"

"That doesn't sound pleasant," commented Takuya.

"Oh, it isn't," replied Mushu, "Let me tell you."

"Hey Mushu," said Sora, "We missed you!"

"Well, you better hope I miss you or else you're," started Mushu, before recognizing who he was talking to, "you're… Sora! Donald! Goofy!"

"Do you know them," asked the person with Mushu.

"Yeah," explained Mushu, "We used to kick all kinds of Bad Guy butt together. You know, I helped these guys out of a lot of tight spots. Cause I'm a mighty Dragon, right?"

"Really?" asked a skeptic Takuya.

"He did help us out," said Sora.

"I'm Mulan," started the person, before correcting his-(her)-self, "I mean, Ping!"

"Mulan Ping?" wondered Donald.

"Just Ping, son of Fa Zhou!" said 'Ping'.

'Try Fa Mulan,' thought Takuya, smirking at what Mulan was trying to do. Considering his home world also used that style of name introduction as well.

(AN1)

"You know Mushu?" asked Sora.

"Mushu is one of my Family's Guardians," said Ping.

"We didn't know we was borrowing a Family Guardian," apologized Goofy.

"Yeah, that's right," said Mushu, a plan forming in his head, "and that makes you three up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here!"

"I wouldn't go that far," said Takuya.

"Well, you still owe him, and it's time to pay up," said Mushu.

Takuya turned to Sora, "Your call man. I'm just supposed to stay with you guys."

"That's fair enough," said Sora, "We'll help out."

"Ping was about the join the Imperial Army," explained Mushu, "We're heading over the camp where the other recruits are."

"Would you join us," said Ping, "It would be easier to fit in if I'm with guys, like you."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Sora.

"Don't worry about that," said Mushu.

"You're just pretending to be a guy," stated Sir 'Points-Out-the-Obvious-a-Lot'.

This surprised Sora and Donald.

"So, Fa Ping," said Takuya, playing to the game, "Shall we join the others. I'm pretty sure they won't notice, unless they already know who you are."

"Let's go," said Ping.

They headed out the forest and found the Training Camp relatively easy. There was a line for lunch, so they decided to go with the crowd, until Yao shoved him out of the way.

"Wrong move," said Takuya, moving forward.

"Hey! NO CUTTING!" complained Sora, rushing forward.

Yao tried to punch Sora, only to be stopped by Takuya.

"You punch him, and I'll give you a match to that eye of yours," warned Takuya.

His answer was a kick to the gut. Soon an all out brawl began between Sora, Donald, Takuya, Yao, and Ling, not stopping until Captain Li Shang ordered them to, his position having some pull behind the order. Everyone got in line after that. However, Heartless appeared, getting the attention of everyone in the camp. Everyone got their weapons ready, Takuya turning into Flamon, and began battling the Heartless. Since it was an enclosed camp, Flamon resorted to using melee moves to take down Heartless, not knowing that they were being spied on. After taking the Heartless down, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ping, and Takuya reported to the Captain. The Captain gave Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mulan three tasks to prove themselves, holding Takuya back to talk with him.

"I saw you in that last fight," said Chang, "Why did you hold back?"

"And destroy the camp?" replied Takuya, "My powers are based off of fire, a bad combination with this setup for a camp."

"Well then," said Chang, "You shall remain with the rest of the group while those four head on to the village up the mountain. I have heard rumors that Shan Yu is going to attack there. We need to get there before he does."

"Yes sir," answered Takuya.

So, after Sora's group went on ahead, taking out Heartless along the way, Takuya helped to protect the main group, taking out Heartless as Flamon. By the time they got to the village, Takuya joined the others as Mushu was telling them about seeing Shan Yu in the cave up ahead.

"I don't know," said Takuya, "Sounds like a trap to me."

"It's worth taking a look," said Sora, "We'll go. Stay here in case your right."

"Will do," replied Takuya, watching them heading into the cave.

Not long after they entered the cave, a rumbling went through the area, and Shan Yu exited the cave. He summoned Heartless as he approached the village, forcing the soldiers to fight a losing battle. Flamon was doing the most damage, so Shan Yu took an interest in him. Flamon rushed him, only to be caught by the throat by Shan Yu's left hand. Flamon struggled against his grip.

"So, you're the one that has the element of Fire," said Shan Yu.

"What are you talking about?" asked Takuya.

"You pose a big threat to my plans, so I'm gonna give you a reason to stop fighting now."

Takuya couldn't do a thing as Shan Yu punched him in the gut, taking the rest of his air from him, and forcing him back to Takuya before Shan Yu dropped him to the ground. A nearby explosion of a house sent soot, dirt, and snow over Takuya, partially covering him.

* * *

When the others got back to the village, they saw the ruins of the battle. After checking on the Captain, they saw Takuya unconscious and partially covered in snow, dirt and soot. They tried to wake him up, but couldn't.

"He took a direct blow from Shan Yu," explained Shang, "He was hurt pretty bad."

"Look after him," said Sora, "We'll head after Shan Yu."

"He's up at the Summit," said Shang, moving towards Takuya and started giving orders to get him assistance.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Ping headed up to the summit, taking out more Heartless on the way. When they got to the top, Shan Yu was waiting for them with more Heartless. A fierce battle ensued. As they were holding off the Heartless, Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling rushed in with a rocket. Ping, getting an idea, quickly grabbed the rocket and started heading up the mountain towards Shan Yu. With no lighter, he used Mushu to light the rocket, which he launched at the face of the mountain, causing an avalanche, burying Shan Yu along with most of the Heartless.

Shang finally caught up, with Takuya, who was still injured, but could manage for the time being. Ping tried to warn them, and everyone was trying to escape the avalanche. Ping managed to get the Captain out of there while Takuya was being helped by Sora and Goofy.

"Now that's what I call a good plan," said Takuya.

"Thank you, Ping," said Shang.

"It was nothing," brushed off Ping.

"I won't doubt you again," said Shang, "From now on, you have my trust. I owe you for saving my life."

"Thank you, Captain," said Ping.

Before the good mood could continue, Mushu popped up out of the snow, angry.

"First she uses me as a lighter, and then she turns me into a cannonball; the ancestors are gonna here about this. I give up. No more. Mulan: quit the charade and let's head home."

"Mushu," warned Ping/Mulan, but was too late.

"Mulan?" said Shang in surprise, "A woman? It can't be!"

"Ping! Captain!" shouted Sora, as he rushed forward.

Takuya having been healed by Donald after the avalanche was over was able to walk with them.

"You knew?" accused Shang.

"Hey, not my fault," said Takuya, "If you want to blame anyone, then blame the dragon."

"I can't believe you lied to me," said Shang, knowing the punishment for a woman to enter the Imperial Army, "For deceiving and dishonoring the army, you should be put to death."

This worried the gang, until Shang's next words.

"But I owe you," continued Shang, "Leave now, and we'll be even. My debt is paid."

He ordered his remaining unit to head on to the palace to inform the emperor of what has happened.

After a quick change out of the armor, Mulan turned to her new friends.

"Sorry about all of that," apologized Mulan.

"Hey, it was for your father," said Takuya, "I would have done the same."

"But aren't you a boy," said Goofy, "It's not the same."

"Whatever," said Takuya, turning away from his companions, who laughed.

"What now, Mulan?" asked Sora.

"What else," said Mulan, "I'm heading home."

"You're father's going to be mad," said Mushu.

As the five of them headed down the mountain, they noticed Shan Yu's hawk flying around.

"That doesn't look good," said Takuya, looking to whom the hawk was flying to.

Shan Yu climbed out of the snow, the Heartless reforming out of Darkness, and they made their way to the city.

"We gotta stop them," said Donald.

"I'm gonna stop him myself," said Takuya, who didn't forget what happened at the village earlier.

So, the five of them hurried down the mountain; taking down Heartless along the way. When they reached the city, the unit they were formerly with was in the courtyard already.

"Shang," pleaded Mulan, "Shan Yu is alive and he's heading this way."

"And why should I believe you this time," said Shang.

"You said you trusted Ping," said Takuya, "Why would trusting Mulan be any different?"

Donald noticed the hawk overhead, and pointed it out to the others.

"That enough proof for you," said Takuya, changing into Flamon.

Shang looked around the courtyard, and spotted Shan Yu on the left tower of the courtyard.

"We mustn't let him near the Emperor!" ordered Shang, "Hurry men!!"

Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling rushed forward. Shang turned to his other warriors, who turned into Heartless, the Darkness in their hearts taking over.

"Captain," said Sora, "We'll clear the Courtyard while you protect the Emperor."

Shang looked hesitant.

"That's an order!!" urged Donald.

Shang nodded, before rushing towards the palace with Flamon right next to him. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mulan took care of the Heartless, using a Limit Breaker with Mushu to defeat them all.

"Let's get to the palace," said Sora.

When they got there, Takuya was fighting Heartless while Shan Yu had the Emperor by throat with his sword.

"Now you'll bow to me," said Shan Yu.

"No matter how hard the wind blows," replied the Emperor, "The Mountain cannot bow to it."

Shan Yu then noticed Mulan and the gang, along with Mulan being Ping. Shang used that distraction to get the drop on Shan Yu and get the Emperor in the palace, with Chien-Po and Ling closing the doors. Shan Yu got up and summoned more Heartless to his side. Flamon got in between them and Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mulan.

"Guys," ordered Takuya, "Shan Yu's mine. Take care of the Heartless while I honor Shan Yu with a one-on-one battle."

"You think you can defeat me?" wondered Shan Yu.

"I know I can," said Flamon, reverting to Takuya and taking out his D-Tector, "Just give me a second to bring my best."

The Symbol of Fire appeared on Takuya's D-Tector and a ring a data around his left hand. He swiped the data through the top of the D-Tector and Spirit Evolved into Agunimon.

"Let's see you handle me!" challenged Agunimon.

"Takuya?" wondered Sora.

"Take care of the Heartless you guys," said Agunimon.

Shan Yu charged forward, looking for an easy victory, but Agunimon stopped his punch cold without even trying.

"That all you got?" boasted Agunimon.

Shan Yu brought his sword up in attempt to slice Agunimon half, only for Agunimon to block it with his left gauntlet. He back-flipped in the air and landed a few yards away from Shan Yu. He ignited his left gauntlet.

"Pyro Darts!!" shouted Agunimon, sending out small discs of flame at Shan Yu, forcing him to fall back.

Shan Yu charged forward in an attempt to catch Agunimon off guard, but Agunimon blocked the sword strike with his left gauntlet again and countered with a punch to the gut.

"Turnabout's fair play, right?" remarked Agunimon as Shan Yu exhaled one last time before falling down.

He turned to see a few Heartless left and he jumped up.

"Pyro Tornado!" shouted Agunimon.

And with precision strikes, Agunimon finished off the rest of the Heartless. As Agunimon landed, data wrapped around him as he turned back into Takuya.

"Don't mess with Takuya if you know what's good for you!" promised Takuya in a low voice.

"Takuya!" shouted Mulan, as she and the others rushed up to him.

"What was that?" asked Sora.

"You didn't…" started a fearful Mulan.

"He'll live," said Takuya, "But he won't be going anywhere for awhile."

After the excitement was over, and Shan Yu taken to prison, the Emperor stepped forward to address the five of them.

"I have heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan," said the Emperor, "You stole your fathers armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name."

"We get the picture," said Sora, who was used to being reprimanded back home.

"Somehow I sense a 'but' in here," said Takuya.

"You're a young woman," continued the Emperor, "and in the end, you have saved us all."

The Emperor then bowed to Mulan, signaling to all the other people gathered there to do the same.

"Your Excellency," thanked Mulan.

"Captain Li," said the Emperor.

Shang took out the sword of Shan Yu and gave it to Mulan.

"Take this, so that the world knows what you have done for China," said the Emperor.

Then the Emperor took his medal off and placed it on the sword.

"Take this as well, so that your family knows what you have done for me."

"Thank you, your Excellency," said Fa Mulan.

"Thank you, Fa Mulan, for everything," said Li Shang.

"If you wish to win the heart of China's bravest woman, then you need to do more than thank her, Captain," said the Emperor, embarrassing Shang.

"Alright," said Mushu, "If I can spin this right, then they'll have to make me a Guardian again."

"Weren't you already a Guardian?" asked Goofy.

"You little liar!" said Sora.

Sora started chasing after Mushu when Shan Yu's sword begun to glow. Sora understood what it meant and brought out his Keyblade to open the pathway to the next world.

"I think it's time we moved on," said Goofy.

"You shall be missed," said the Emperor.

"We'll come by and visit," said Sora.

"That is, if you allow it, your Excellency," said Takuya.

"I think you will be welcomed whether I allow it or not," replied the Emperor, "But I do, just to be clear."

"We look forward to your return," said Li Shang.

"Don't take too long, now," said Fa Mulan.

"You two play nice now," teased Sora.

"Yeah," chuckled Takuya, "Wouldn't want anything happening too fast, right?"

This caused the two of them to blush.

"Whoa," said Mushu, "Don't leave without this."

Mushu shot out flames, which formed into the Hidden Dragon Keyblade, which Sora sent into Hyperspace.

(AN2)

They left for the next world to visit.

(Beast's Castle)

When Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya landed, they appeared in front of a castle. They entered cautiously, because they didn't know to whom it belonged.

"What is this place?" asked Sora.

"It's huge," remarked Donald.

"And sort of gloomy," added Goofy.

"It's a castle, and it's night time," said Takuya, "That's why it's huge and gloomy looking."

"Take the fun right out of it, why don't ya?" said Sora.

A roar echoed through the castle, sounding familiar to three of the four.

"You don't think?" wondered Goofy.

Another roar echoed, instantly reminding the other two of whose it was.

"That's the Beast's roar," said Sora.

"Beast?" asked Takuya, "Not a friendly name, is it?"

"He helped us out at Hollow Bastion in our last journey," said Sora.

"We probably need to check up on him," said Goofy.

Before they could move, Heartless appeared, moving into a nearby room.

"After that Shadow," said Takuya, rushing in there.

The only thing of real interest in the room was a rose in a class case. Heartless formed around them, forcing them to battle again. More showed up, cornering the four of them.

"We need some help," said Sora.

"HELP!!!!!" shouted Donald.

Help did arrive; the Beast busted through the door and took out the Heartless with relative ease.

"Just in time," said Sora, but the Beast knocked him away, moving towards the rose.

"Hey!" said Donald, before he and Goofy went flying as well.

"That's not very nice," said Takuya, getting between the rose and the Beast.

The Beast roared at him at point blank range, causing Takuya's ears to ring for a few seconds.

"Need to work on that inside voice I see," remarked Takuya before the Beast picked him up and threw him across the room, before picking up the rose and leaving the room.

"Oh yeah," said Takuya, getting up, "He was a REAL help from what I saw."

"Something's up," said Sora, "Otherwise he wouldn't brush us off like that."

As they exited, Donald saw someone at the stairs to the right, and informed the others.

"Who is it?" asked Takuya.

"Well, if this is Beast's Castle, then that must have been Belle," said Donald.

"Let's go see her," said Sora, as the four of them went up the East staircase, taking out more Heartless along the way.

When they got close to Belle's door, they heard talking from within and snuck up close to the door to listen closer. Donald stepped away from the door and rushed towards it; however, the door opened before he could get there.

"Who opened the door?" asked Donald.

"Mademoiselle Belle, I presume," said Takuya.

"Yes," said Belle, "And you are?"

"Takuya," replied Takuya, "And I assume you know these three."

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" said Belle, "I'm so glad you came by."

"Where's the Beast?" asked Donald.

"He would be in his room. It's in the West Wing," said Belle, "We don't talk like we use to."

"I'm guessing the Heartless have something to do with it?" said Takuya.

"Yes," said Belle, "For the last year, he's been hunting any and all Heartless that have shown up here. The only ones who might be able to talk to him are locked up in the dungeon. I wanted to get them out, but…"

"He locked them down there, didn't he?" said Takuya.

Belle nodded.

"Who's locked up?" asked Sora.

"His servants," said Belle, "They're the ones that help me connect with Beast before. Maybe they can do it again."

* * *

They made their way to the west wing, fighting Heartless on the way there, Takuya as Agunimon this time. As they entered the West Hall, Sora turned to Agunimon.

"You were going to explain, right?" said Sora.

"This is called Spirit Evolution," said Agunimon, "By harnessing the Spirit of Fire, I can assume this form to become stronger and faster. Not everyone can do it, but those that can are powerful indeed."

"I wonder if I can do it," said Sora.

"Maybe later," said Takuya, "Right now, we need to find that undercroft. That should lead us to the dungeon where the servants are."

Down the hall, they found a wardrobe covering up a door. Sora moved it out of the way only for it to come alive.

"Do you mind," said the wardrobe, moving back into place.

"Excuse me," said Takuya, "Would you please move away from the door so we can get through?"

"And why should I do that?" asked the wardrobe.

"Belle asked us to go to the dungeon," said Sora.

"Belle asked you?" replied the wardrobe, "Well, by all means, please come right on through. We could use the help."

"Okay…" said Sora, hesitantly.

"My apologies," said the wardrobe, "I used to be human myself, until that enchantress cast her spell over this castle. I was turned into a wardrobe when the Prince became the Beast you see today."

"That makes sense," said Takuya, "I don't think anyone would choose that form voluntarily."

"Say again about this spell," asked Sora.

"Well," said the wardrobe, "It would be better if it was explained after you rescue the others. The dungeons hardly a place for clock anyways."

'Clock huh,' thought Takuya, 'Sounds like a butler to me. They keep time for just about everything, or so I've read.'

They entered the door to see another door with an unusual artwork. Donald tried to open the door, only for the artwork to turn into twin Heartless. Two stone Gargoyles at the corners of the room floated up as well.

"Time to party," said Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector.

However, the Twin Heartless was too fast for him and knocked his D-Tector away, as well as knocking him back to the other door.

"Time for plan 'B'," said Takuya, changing into Flamon.

While Sora, Donald, and Goofy were taking care of the Twin Heartless, Flamon took out the gargoyles with some difficulty, seeing as he only had melee attacks that wouldn't hurt his friends. After the Heartless were defeated, the 'artwork' disappeared, leaving behind a normal door, which they entered.

They found the room empty, minus a few decorations.

"There's nobody here?" asked Sora.

"Nobody to rescue?" added Donald.

"The wardrobe mentioned a clock," said Takuya, "Not to mention, she said that the whole castle was under the spell, not just the Beast. So, I would say…"

"That these knickknacks are the missing servants," said the candlestick, Lumiere, "Then you are correct, Monsieur."

"Be quiet, Lumiere," said the clock, Cogsworth.

"They don't look like Heartless to me," said the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

"That's because we're not," said Takuya.

"Names are: Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya," introduced Sora, indicating each of his friends.

"Glad to meet you," said Takuya, "Belle sent us to find you."

"Then it is us who are glad to make your acquaintance," said Lumiere.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Goofy.

So the servants told them about what happened years ago, the enchantress, the prince, and the spell. They decided to head to where the Beast's room is and moved through the basement to get around the suits of armor guarding the entrance to the West Wing.

When they reached the Beast's room, a guy in an all too familiar black cloak was convincing the Beast to kill Belle. The Beast didn't want that, so Xaldin, the Organization 13 member, cut him off from his rose, and made him think it was Sora that did it. Overcome by anger, he turned to fight Sora and his friends.

"EXECUTE!!" yelled Takuya, "Spirit Evolution!"

Agunimon jumped behind the Beast, and held him back in a Full Nelson hold. The Beast struggled, but Agunimon was able to hold him long enough for Sora to help Cogsworth's voice to reach the Master. His anger abated, the Beast's struggles slowed until they stopped all together, allowing Agunimon to release him safely.

(AN3)

"Cogsworth??" asked the Beast, his senses returning, "What happened?"

"Your anger and fear was being used against you, causing your rage to overwhelm you," said Takuya, back to being human again.

"You locked your servants in the dungeon," said Donald.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Sora.

"Xaldin," said Beast, "That's what he said his name was. He came from the Darkness."

"He a manipulator," said Takuya, "However, somewhere in your heart, you realized you needed to save your friends, so you locked them in the dungeon to protect them."

"That's right," said Beast, "How did you know??"

"I've seen reports about Xaldin's workings. A few of them mentioned being countered by keeping those that would be most affected away from others."

"Yes, even Belle knows the good inside you," said Cogsworth, "You just have to realize that you can be nice, even as a beast."

"Belle," said Beast sadly, "After all I've done to her, she would only accept me back because her heart's too pure to do anything else."

"Well, that makes it easy," said Takuya, "Why not talk to her?"

"No," said Beast, "I need some time alone."

Takuya could understand where he was coming from and turned to the others.

"Give us a minute, would you?" asked Takuya.

"You sure?" asked Donald.

"Yeah," said Takuya, "I know what he needs right now."

After Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Cogsworth stepped out of the room, Takuya turned to Beast.

"I know what you're going through," said Takuya.

"How could you?" countered the Beast.

"Cause I know how it is," said Takuya, turning into Flamon, "To be a monster in front of your family."

Takuya told Beast what happened just hours before he got caught up in this mess.

"But that's not the worst of it," said Flamon.

"How could it get any worse?" asked Beast, "You scared your family and even if you return, they might recognize you and shun you again."

"But that's the thing," said Flamon, returning to Takuya, "I became a real beast one time, and ended up hurting my friends. I nearly killed someone that I consider a little brother to me. I could never forgive myself if I had done anything to him. If it weren't for his courage, I would be here right now. I would still be that beast, lost in a never-ending cycle of fear and hatred. But I've faced that, and you can too. Talk to Belle, try to reconnect to her the way you did the first time."

"Alright," said Beast, feeling hope that if Takuya could do it, so could he. After all, he wasn't so alone anymore.

Takuya and the Beast rejoined the others outside, and they headed towards the East Wing, and Belle's room, taking out even more Heartless along the way.

When they got to Belle's room, the wardrobe greeted them.

"Master," said the wardrobe, "Thank goodness you're alright."

"I'm just glad that everyone else is safe," said Beast, before looking around the room and not seeing Belle, asked, "What happened to Belle?"

"She went after some man in black," said the wardrobe.

(AN4)

"WHAT!?" yelled the Beast.

"Calm down, man," said Takuya, "Let's just go after her before Xaldin captures her."

"I'll make him pay if he hurts Belle," said Beast, turning around and rushing back through the castle.

"What are you gonna do with him?" asked Takuya, before jumping out the window, Spirit Evolving on the way down.

"Let's go," said Sora, leading Donald and Goofy out the door, and after Beast.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Agunimon looked around the grounds. He saw a dark-robed figure walking towards him in a relaxed pace. Using his enhanced senses to find out who it is, relaxed himself.

"What happened to letting Sora handle it?" asked Agunimon.

"Who says I'm interfering??" replied the robed figure.

"Alright, Riku," said Agunimon, turning back to Takuya, "When can I tell him?"

"It's not your responsibility," replied Riku, "He'll find out in time. By the way, make sure Beast doesn't mention anything before you guys leave. I wouldn't do Sora any good to find out too early."

"Right," said Takuya, turning back to head inside.

"Hold up," said Riku, bringing out something, "Here, just in case."

Riku tossed something to Takuya, who caught it. Upon looking at it, he recognized what it was and put it in his D-Tector, before asking, "Are you sure I'm ready for this??"

"Save it for when you need it," said Riku, opening a portal of Darkness, "Besides, DiZ has finished his analysis of it, and doesn't need it anymore. Take it."

"Thanks," said Takuya, a bit unsure, but grateful nonetheless.

Takuya headed inside as Riku left via the portal.

(AN5)

* * *

Sora and the others had managed to defeat the Heartless by the time Takuya rushed in, only for the Heartless to evolve into a more powerful form. After the tiring battle, complete with another Limit Breaker, Sora, Donald, and Goofy weren't ready for another fight. The Beast, however, seemed to be ready, running on adrenaline and the need to save Belle.

"Guys, I'll handle this," said Takuya, brining out his D-Tector.

"But can you handle yourself?" asked Xaldin, appearing in the Balcony.

"What are you talking about?" countered Takuya.

"After what happened the first time you tapped into its power," replied Xaldin, "The Organization has done some reading up on you, Takuya, and your strong heart is just what we need to have a strong Nobody."

"As if," said Takuya, "Your mind games won't work. So go back to your groupies and tell them Takuya's not one to mess with."

Takuya summoned a lot of data around his left hand.

"EXECUTE!!!" shouted Takuya, "BEAST! SPIRIT! EVOLUTION!!"

Takuya Beast Spirit-Evolved into BurningGreymon.

"Let's see you handle me!" shouted BurningGreymon.

BurningGreymon took to the air with his wings, only to be met by the Heartless, sending him down to the ground. BurningGreymon smirked as he used his tail to wrap around the Heartless's leg and trip him up as he reversed their position. BurningGreymon jumped back and reversed the position of his shields.

"PYRO BARRAGE!"

He shot multiple heat lasers at the Heartless, doing a decent amount of damage before it recovered turned invisible.

"That's not going to work," said BurningGreymon, spinning around quickly, catching the Heartless off guard and sending him into the wall.

The Heartless melted into the wall, causing BurningGreymon to stop spinning. He looked around him, before sending another Pyro Barrage over Sora's head, and into the Heartless, forcing him to become visible again. Sora and the Beast were able to finish it off with another Limit Breaker.

BurningGreymon landed and reverted back to Takuya, who was on one knee.

"It's been awhile," said Takuya, "I need a break from doing that again."

"We won," said Sora.

"So you think," said Xaldin, from the doorway.

Beast charged, followed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but Xaldin bid them 'Farewell,' and left via a dark portal.

"What did he want here?" asked Beast.

"He's with Organization 13," said Sora, "They probably wanted to make you into a Heartless.

"So they can get control of the nobody in you," finished Goofy.

"You're alright!" shouted Belle, who was trapped on the balcony out back.

The Beast apologized, and Belle accepted the apology. Suddenly the Keyblade appeared in Sora's hand, and he knew what was happening. He recognized the Rose in the dimension of the gateway, and unlocked the road to the next world.

"What happened?" asked Beast.

"The gate is open," replied Donald.

"It means we're needed in the next world," added Takuya.

After saying their goodbyes, Sora's group returned to the Gummy Ship. However, before they could go anywhere, the ship moved by itself back to Hallow Bastion. Where their next adventure awaited.

(Chapter End)

Well, I'm gonna end it there, because two worlds a chapter seems like a good pace to set. I don't know if I'm doing Pooh's world yet, as it only mini games and Takuya's not gonna be into that. So, we'll see next time.

* * *

Name: Sora

Current Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon

Drives: Valor

* * *

Name: Fa, Mulan

Alias: Ping

Occupation: World (China) Savior, Inheritor of Fa Family Head

Keyblade: none

Weapon: Father's sword

Quirks: Shy, but Brave

* * *

Name: Mushu

Occupation: Former Summoning Charm, Former Guardian, Reinstated Guardian

Weapon: Fire Breath

Quirks: Fast-talker, smooth-talker (at times)

* * *

Name: Beast

Alias: Prince

Occupation: Ruler of his castle, fierce protector of Belle

Weapon: his claws

Quirks: quick to anger, but is also nice at times

* * *

Name: Belle

Alias: Princess of Heart

Occupation: Princess of Heart of Light (Meaning holds no darkness inside)

Weapon: Her Heart (used to give Beast strength to continue fighting when he would otherwise be tired)

* * *

Name: Riku

Occupation: Keyblade Wielder, friend/rival of Sora, and Darkness user

Keyblade: Way to the Dawn

Former Keyblades: Soul Eater (Don't know the name of the other one, though Unlocking of Hearts is mentioned as its name in MrFlipp's series KH4: All's End)

Alright, that's all. Except for one thing.

AN1: Japan, China, I'm thinking they share that. If not, I apologize.

AN2: Well, considering how you get it in the game, I'm using this as an alternative.

AN3: Well, it's better than having Cogsworth shouting 'Master, please return to your senses!' for five full minutes.

AN4: Not Agent K or Agent J. Wrong MiB guys.

AN5: This scene I put in as to give Takuya something to do. I had him jump out of the window prematurely, forgetting that the battle in the courtyard doesn't happen until later. Also, it gives Sora, Donald, and Goofy the chance to participate in a boss battle, considering Takuya aced them out of battling Shan Yu in the last world.

Okay, until next chapter…

Later,

RDF1


	3. Hero, Villain, and Time Travel, Oh My!

Alright, I knew changing it to just Kingdom Hearts would be a good idea.

Takuya: Yeah, but I'm not in the character filter anymore.

RDF1: It's a sacrifice worth making for the good of the viewers.

Takuya: Doesn't mean I have to like it.

RDF1: Just get to Hallow Bastion.

Takuya leaves.

Dx: He does have a point you know.

RDF1: And so do I. That is: Kingdom Hearts has so many stories that a new one is bound to get their attention. Not to mention when you add Digimon to the mix.

Alright, time for chapter three. I've decided to have 100-Acre Woods be a side-world, not really covered considering how long Sora actually stays in there, and have two other worlds go with it this chapter. Considering the first world is Olympus Coliseum, then this will probably double the word count for the story, but that's just how good it is.

And, just so you know, I'm not adding every single scene in the game. Just most of them I deem good enough, or I happen to like a character or two in that scene. Like with the scene between Axel, Namine, and Riku.

Also, for everyone who I know is wondering about how Axel and Riku know about Xion, then let me put it this way: for this story, Namine only made everyone forget Xion temporary, like for a week; enough time for Roxas to merge back with Sora before remembering Xion.

Disclaimer: Don't own what I haven't previously mentioned.

(Chapter Start)

(Recap)

"_It's been awhile," said Takuya, "I need a break from doing that again."_

"_We won," said Sora._

"_So you think," said Xaldin, from the doorway._

_Beast charged, followed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but Xaldin bid them 'Farewell,' and left via a dark portal._

"_What did he want here?" asked Beast._

"_He's with Organization 13," said Sora, "They probably wanted to make you into a Heartless._

"_So they can get control of the nobody in you," finished Goofy._

"_You're alright!" shouted Belle, who was trapped on the balcony out back._

_The Beast apologized, and Belle accepted the apology. Suddenly the Keyblade appeared in Sora's hand, and he knew what was happening. He recognized the Rose in the dimension of the gateway, and unlocked the road to the next world._

"_What happened?" asked Beast._

"_The gate is open," replied Donald._

"_It means we're needed in the next world," added Takuya._

_After saying their goodbyes, Sora's group returned to the Gummy Ship. However, before they could go anywhere, the ship moved by itself back to Hallow Bastion. Where their next adventure awaited._

(Recap End)

When they landed, they headed over to Merlin's house, to see what's up. As they got close, they saw a few Heartless walk out and disappear before they could get close. They headed inside to see Merlin on the floor.

"Well now," groaned Merlin, "Took your time, did you?"

"Like we could rush back here fast enough," replied Takuya.

"What happened?" asked Sora.

"I happened to stumble across this in the Zero District," said Merlin, pulling out a familiar book to three of the four companions.

"Pooh's story book!" exclaimed Sora, happy that his friend is okay.

"Winnie the Pooh??" wondered Takuya, doubting how the book had any relevance to what they were doing.

"Yeah," said Sora, "He and I had lots of adventures when I was in his world last.

"What about Christopher?" asked Takuya, "I thought he has Pooh's companion?"

"That is a story for another time," said Merlin, "Right now, I need to find Leon and the others. They need to hear the rest of _this_ story."

Merlin left to find the other members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration committee.

"I wonder how Pooh's doing," wondered Sora.

"Want to find out?" asked Donald, opening the book.

"Go for it," said Takuya, "I'll stay here."

After Sora went inside the book, Donald placed it on the bookstand. Takuya relaxed in a nearby chair while Donald and Goofy went outside to wait for Leon and the others. Heartless soon appeared, and Flamon called out for Sora to return as he knocked Heartless out the door.

"SORA!!" shouted Donald from outside, who was battling more heartless alongside Goofy.

Sora and Flamon headed outside. Goofy turned to them.

"What about the book??" asked Goofy.

Sora and Flamon then realized their mistake and turned around in time to see more Heartless carry the book out.

(AN1)

Flamon then used his tail as a lasso and gripped all three of the heartless together, allowing Sora to grab the book back from them, before he destroyed the three of them.

Sora returned inside the book while the rest of them returned it to its place on the bookstand. Merlin returned from filling in the others. Merlin handed Takuya his membership card while they and Donald and Goofy waited for Sora.

"Couldn't wait for an old wizard, could you?" remarked Merlin, when Sora returned, "These youth today."

"Sorry," apologized Sora.

"Everything okay?" asked Takuya.

"Not really," said Sora.

"What going on?" asked Goofy.

"It seems Pooh's lost his memory," replied Sora, "And not just me. He's forgotten all his friends as well."

"That is a problem," said Takuya.

"One that I feared," replied Merlin, opening the book, revealing most of the pages blank, minus Pooh's house, "The Heartless have stolen most of the pages from this book. You'll need to travel the worlds and find them in order to fix things there."

"We're on it," said Sora, determined to help his friend out.

"Here," said Merlin, handing Sora the Baseball Charm, "Use this to call upon a friend when the time is needed."

So, they left Hallow Bastion to make way to the next world, Olympus Coliseum.

* * *

When they landed in the world, they found themselves in a drearier place than where they intended.

"Wow," said Takuya, "Either someone has given a facelift to this place, or it needs one."

"I think we're in the wrong place," said Sora.

"The Coliseum's that way," said Donald, pointing to the stairs.

"No, really?" quipped Takuya, "I thought it was through those doors marked 'Entrance to the Underworld.'"

(AN2)

"The Underworld!?" exclaimed the other three.

"AAAHHHH!" shouted a voice from the doorway.

Everyone saw a young woman running away from Heartless when she fell. By the time the four of them got there, the Heartless had returned beyond the door. Sora offered her a hand up, but she refused it, getting up a brushing herself off.

"I'm fine," said the woman, "And you're supposed to be?"

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya," said Sora, introducing his team to the woman, "We came to see Hercules."

"You know Wonderboy?" asked the woman.

"Yeah, cause we're heroes too," boasted Donald.

"You mean 'Junior Heroes,' Donald," added Goofy.

"Don't put me with them," said Takuya, "I'm still trying to figure that part out."

"Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara," said Meg, "But my friends call me 'Meg.'"

"How's Herc doing?" asked Sora.

"Fighting everyday, nothing really changes with Wonderboy," replied Meg, "I was heading to ask Hades to give Herc a break."

"Hades!?" exclaimed the three Junior Heroes.

"I didn't think being friends with Hercules meant having to face the Lord of the Dead himself to try to get him a day off," teased Takuya.

Meg blushed, before speaking, "Try to keep this between us. Wonderboy would flip if he knew I was down here."

"That's okay," said Sora, "We'll handle it. You head back before Hercules notices you're gone."

So, Meg headed back to the Coliseum while the guys headed down towards the Underworld. They worked their way down, fighting Heartless again, when they saw a member of Organization 13 run by. They followed him, hearing him cry out 'Run away!!' before leaving via a portal of Darkness.

"Okay…" said Sora, doubtfully.

"I'll bet that was the most courageous member of the organization!!" said Takuya, sarcastically.

A small dark orb with a book design within it appeared before them.

"I don't think we need to mess with that," said Takuya.

"Yeah," agreed Sora.

"Let's move on," said Goofy.

"We gotta find Hades," said Donald.

So, they decided to move on.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Underworld…

"Where do they dig these freaks up?" wondered Hades, wondering about this 'Organization' that had been moving about the past year or so, "Geez louiz."

(AN3)

"Oh, there nothing but trouble, the whole lot of them," said Pete, having learned more about them since first meeting them months ago, "So, uh, what are you going to do about Hercules? That fighter's beaten every monster you throw at him. Instead of sending him a living fighter to kill, send him a dead fighter to save him the trouble."

Hades nearly snapped at him, before realizing the depths that this plan could go.

"That's not a bad idea. And I know just the warrior," said Hades, moving towards a special dungeon pit in the Underworld.

* * *

As the four travelers made it further down the Underworld, their courage seemed to be diminishing.

"HADES!!" shouted Sora, "COME OUT!!!"

'Oh yeah,' thought Takuya, 'Why not just call the Grim Reaper to make us permanent residence.'

He realized what he just thought, and added, 'Might as well go with the Lord of the Dead, at least we have a shot against him.'

(AN4)

They continued their way towards Hades' lair, continuing to take out the Heartless with slightly more difficulty than before, their strength beginning to wane on them. Even Flamon couldn't use his Tail as a whip anymore.

* * *

As Hades, his minions, and Pete gathered towards that special Dungeon Hades thought of earlier when Pete asked, "What's down there?"

"Oh, just worst monsters and bad guys out there," replied Hades, "And I'm bringing out one of their toughest players."

Hades summoned forth his powers and called forth Auron, one of the toughest fighters ever to die in his home world.

(AN5)

"Here's the skinny," explained Hades to Auron, "I let you out, another chance at life. In exchange, battle Hercules to the death in a tournament match."

Auron regarded him for a moment, before smirking a bit.

"This is _**MY**_ story. You're not apart of it," replied Auron, bringing out his sword.

(AN6)

"Are you forgetting who you talking to!?" demanded Hades, "I am the LORD OF THE DEAD!!!"

"Hunh," dissed Auron, "No wonder no one wants to die."

"YOU ARE **FIRED**!!!" shouted Hades, turning red and charging at him.

Auron blocked with his sword in time for Sora and the others to make it in the room.

"Hades!" called out Donald.

"You again," replied Hades, not liking the three of them, even after a year.

"Fight!" demanded Auron, charging back at Hades.

Hades blocked his strike and managed to overpower him. Sora got between the two of them before Hades could send Auron back to his prison.

"Get up!" urged the Keybearer.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried fighting Hades, only to find themselves unable to harm him.

"Something's not right," said Sora, feeling his strength draining away.

"What's happening to you guys," said Flamon, getting between them and Hades.

"That's right," said Hades, "Did I forget to mention: Heroes are Zeroes in the Underworld. Comes with the Territory."

Hades charged in, hands aflame, before Flamon summoned the rest of his power to block Hades from attacking. Auron managed to recover and join them.

"I'll hold him off," said Flamon, struggling against Hades' flames, "Get out of here!!"

"But what about you!!" said Sora.

"I'll be fine! GO!!!!" shouted Flamon, summoning more strength against Hades.

Auron grabbed Sora and dragged him away, "He's right. Hades has too much advantage here!"

"TAKUYA!!" shouted Sora, as he left against his will.

Flamon's strength ran out just in time to be sent back against the wall.

"I'm impressed," said Hades, "I'd figure you'd be a hero-type since you are with the Keyblade brat."

Flamon chuckled, turning back into Takuya, "Who says I'm not. Since both of our powers are based off of flame, I figured I could use your power against you. Kind of backfired considering you a Go Hades d and all."

"That it did," said, summoning his flames once more and let 'em loose on Takuya before going after the others.

(AN7)

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora, Auron, Donald, and Goofy were battling their way out of the Underworld. Sora used a Limit Breaker with Auron when the Heartless were getting too close. When they got halfway, they decided to stop and rest for a second before they continued on.

"Are you some kind of hero?" asked Sora.

"I'm no hero. I'm just a…" replied Auron, and continued at Sora's confused look, "Auron."

"Huh?" asked Goofy.

"My name," replied Auron, his patience wearing a bit.

"I'm Sora," said Sora.

"Donald," added Donald.

"Goofy," finished Goofy.

"It seems the fates planned for us to meet," said Auron, "Maybe you need a Guardian."

"Guardian?" said Sora, feeling insulted, "Thanks, but No thanks."

Auron seemed impressed by Sora's spirit, having stood up to him without hesitation.

* * *

Hades stopped chasing him to see what happened to Takuya. When he returned, he saw Takuya missing, and Pete looking flabbergasted.

"What happened to him?" demanded the Lord of the Dead, "I would know if I killed him, and I didn't."

"That's the thing," said Panic, "Your flames were stopped by a wall of Earth."

"Then, his thingamabob glowed, and he grabbed it before hightailing it out of here," added Pain.

Hades' eye twitched, before calling out to Cerberus, telling him to go after the escapees.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Auron managed to make it the entrance. They tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. They saw a Keyhole, which Sora unlocked, allowing them to go through. Donald and Goofy made it through when a barrier went up, blocking them from helping Sora and Auron. Sora and Auron turned around to see Takuya running like he had a Dog-Devil on his heels. Cerberus showed up a few seconds later, all three of his heads hungry. Takuya hit the barrier and fell back. He managed to sit up, gasping for air.

"I don't think I can help this time," gasped Takuya, trying to get his breath back, "I need time to recover my strength."

"We got it covered," said Sora, as he and Auron got between him and Cerberus.

Takuya could only watch helplessly as Sora and Auron were fighting Cerberus, barely managing to hold on. Sora then jumped straight at Cerberus. Using his Key to block the two side heads from biting him. The third head reared back, only for Sora to jump off the other two heads, forcing all three to hit each other. Sora followed up with 'Dog Paddle' to knock all three heads to the floor. He called for another Limit Breaker with Auron to finish the job.

"Not bad," said Takuya, his breathing slowing down, "Now let's get out of here."

The Barrier dropped and all three of them made it through before Cerberus could get cognitive enough to reach them in time before the door closed.

* * *

"They came to see me," said Hercules, as they entered, "They came to see a hero. I can't let them down."

Meg sighed, wondering if Wonderboy actually wanted this.

"Don't worry Meg," said Hercules, getting up, "What does a Hero need rest for?"

Meg could only watch as the first person she cared about in a long time walked off to another exhausting fight.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Underworld, Auron had managed to slip away from the others unnoticed.

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again," said Takuya, "Let's get out of here. If I stay here any longer I'm bound to die of gloominess."

The other three chuckled as the four of them made their way up the stairs and out of the Underworld.

* * *

After seeing Sora's Keyblade in action, Hades asked Pete about the extent of it, which Pete explained what Maleficent had told him.

"So, that Keyblade works on ANY lock?" asked Hades, for confirmation.

"That's right," confirmed Pete.

"Have I ever told you about the 'killer' coliseum we have down here in the Underworld. The one upstairs is child's play by comparison."

"Then that's where we're gonna end that Jerk's winning streak."

"One problem," said Hades, "My brother, Zeus, in all his infinite wisdom, locked it up for 'safety reasons'."

Pete expressed his dislike for that. Hades just chuckled evilly, allowing Pete to figure out what his plan was.

"Bingo," said Hades, "All we gotta do is swipe that key and boom. We open the Underdrome."

"Hate to tell ya, but that Key is kind of particular. I won't work for just anybody."

"I think I have that covered," replied Hades, his mind churning on the other possibilities to open the Underdrome.

He pulled out a figurine of Meg and chuckled menacingly.

* * *

Elsewhere, Meg felt a chill go through her spine and she didn't like it.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya managed to make it to the courtyard of the Coliseum.

"Kind of brings back memories, don't it?" asked Goofy.

Sora and Donald smiled at the thought of all the tournaments they won. They headed for the door in front of them only for it to open before they got there. An exhausted Hercules had opened the door and walked a few steps before noticing them.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" said Herc, feeling new strength at seeing new friends, "When did you get here?"

"Hey Herc," said Sora.

"Who's your friend?" asked Hercules, walking up to them.

"This is Takuya," said Sora.

"Nice to meet you. Looks like you're on another adventure, Sora," said Herc.

"Tracking down some friends, wiping out some Heartless," replied Sora.

"Junior Heroes always busy," said Hercules, giving Sora a handshake.

"You know it."

Everyone reconvened inside, where Herc asked if they found their friends.

"Still working on it," said Sora, before Takuya interrupted him.

"But we ran into Hades on our way up here," said Takuya.

"How far down there did you go for Hades to notice you guys?" asked Hercules.

"Far enough that we couldn't fight him without hurting ourselves," said Takuya.

"Any ideas on getting around that?" asked Sora.

"Well," said Hercules, "There IS the Olympus Stone. That protects heroes and all non-villains from losing their power in the Underworld."

"Mind if we use it?" asked Sora.

"Not at all. I'll see if my father, Zeus, can lend it out," said Hercules, "may be what you need. But that's not enough to get the edge over Hades down there."

"We still gotta try," said Takuya.

"I've got another match today. How 'bout you guys get some training in with Phil before heading back down to the underworld."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

So, while Hercules went up to Olympus, Sora and the others went to see Phil, who was in the training arena, setting up another training session.

"Hey champ, how ya feeling?" asked Phil, not looking at 'Herc', "The fans won't like to see a worn out hero. Remember what I said: Victory in the games comes down to two words: Eat, bathe, sleep."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy laughed, thinking the same thing: Same old Phil.

'Wow, this guy is a trainer of heroes?' wondered Takuya.

Phil turned on them to throttle whoever was laughing at him, when he saw three familiar faces.

"HEY!!" said Phil, excited, "If it ain't my three favorite Junior Heroes."

"Looking good, Phil," said Sora.

"Never better," replied Phil, before noticing Takuya, "Where'd you get this guy? He looks ready to make hero already!"

"WHAT!?" cried Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Huh?" asked Takuya intelligently.

"Yeah, this guy's seen more than enough action," said Phil, before shutting up as to not reveal the secret of a True Hero to Sora just yet. He knew the kid had it in him, but he had to find it for himself.

"That's not fair!" said Sora, "We've seen plenty of action."

"Anyways," said Phil, wanting to change subjects, "What's happening?"

"We're gonna take on Hades," said Goofy.

"HAHAHA!! Are you nuts!?" laughed Phil.

"Don't laugh," said Donald, "We're serious."

"Well, you got nerve. That counts for something," said Phil, "In the mean time, why not get some training in before you head back down there."

So, Sora went to training with Donald and Goofy watching from the sidelines. Phil turned to Takuya, anticipating a question.

"Why am I ready to make hero?" asked Takuya.

"You've faced your demons and won. I can tell that just from looking in your eyes," replied Phil, "You're heart's in the right place. Now, you got figure out what that place is and you'll make it."

"Do you remember Roxas?" asked Takuya quietly.

"Yeah, and Xion too," said Phil, "Gave each of them a bit of training before they disappeared."

"Well, if you can understand this," said Takuya, "Then Sora's training never really stopped at all."

"You mean??" asked Phil.

"How was that Phil?" asked Sora, who was finished with the first session.

"Don't get cocky, kid," said Phil, not missing a beat, "You can relax when ALL the training's done."

"Fine," said Sora, returning for the second training session.

"Yes," said Takuya, picking up where they left off, "Just don't tell him. He isn't ready yet."

"Alright," said Phil.

By the time Sora was done, Hercules had returned from Mount Olympus, a frown on his face. The others approached him.

"I gotta an errand to run real quick," said Phil.

"Where to?" asked Sora.

"None of your beeswax," replied Phil, before walking off.

"So," asked Takuya, "I take it we can't use it?"

"Worse," said Herc, "My father said someone in a black robe managed to steal it this morning."

"Demyx," said Takuya, "That's who we saw earlier."

"We'll get it back," promised Sora.

"What about Meg?" asked Hercules, "You see her?"

They shook their heads no.

(AN8)

Hades chose to pop in at that moment.

"What's wrong, your Hero-ness," quipped Hades, "Feeling under the weather?"

"Like you did anything to stop it," countered Takuya.

"Semantics," replied Hades, "I thought staying in shape was part of the hero job description… you know what I'm saying?"

"Unfortunately," said the 'not-quite-a-hero-according-to-Phil'.

"Seems your dear, sweet little Nutmeg as gone and gotten herself lost in the Underworld."

"You mean you kidnapped her," said Hercules.

"Maybe," replied Hades nonchalantly, "But it's semantics."

"Of course it is," remarked Takuya, liking the Lord of the Underworld less and less.

"But don't leave," continued Hades, "That is, if you don't want to leave those poor, helpless, citizens to the Hydra."

"That you let loose in the first place," said Sora.

"Semantics," said Hades, "Tomato, to-mah-to."

"COWARD!" yelled Hercules.

"Can't all be heroes, right?" replied Hades, returning to the Underworld.

"We'll handle it," said Sora.

"Go for it," said Hercules, "I'll take care of the Hydra and meet you later."

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya headed down to the Underworld, hoping to find Meg quickly.

(AN9)

* * *

They got down to the Underworld, only to find Phil on the ground.

"PHIL!" shouted Sora, rushing over to him.

"What happened, man?" asked Takuya.

"I saw the guy in the black robe. I chased after him. He noticed me and before I knew it, I was seeing stars."

"That's Demyx for ya," said Takuya.

"Let's go," said Sora, leading the way down to the Underworld.

They battled their way through Heartless moving further into the Underworld, the curse taking its toll on them.

"We better find that stone soon," said Sora.

"You're telling me," added Flamon, "I don't know how much longer I can hold this form."

They pushed on through until they found Demyx. He noticed them as they entered the room.

"YOU!!" said Demyx, taking off his hood, "Wait a sec… Roxas? ROXAS!?"

"Come again?" asked Sora.

"Oh well, time for plan B," said Demyx.

"Say what now?"

"Let's see here," said Demyx, taking out an instruction card, "'If subject fails to respond, then use aggression to liberate his true disposition'… Right."

"You need instructions to talk to someone?" wondered Flamon.

"Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one…" finished Demyx, pulling out the Olympic Stone.

"Give that back, you thief!" demanded Goofy.

"Now that's just plain rude," said Demyx, activating the stone so he could use his powers in the underworld, as he wasn't a true villain.

Flamon got ready to battle when data wrapped around him, turning him back to Takuya.

"Of all times," sighed Takuya, "Looks like you're on your own."

"We can take it from here," replied Sora.

Demyx used his guitar to summon water clones of Nobodies, and sent them after the Junior Heroes. Sora, Donald, and Goofy managed to defeat them under 50 seconds.

"Not bad Roxas," said Demyx, impressed with Sora's increased skill.

After the battle was over, Demyx continued, "Roxas, come back to us."

Takuya stepped forward, "Try looking elsewhere, Demyx. And don't forget to leave the stone behind."

"Whatever," said Demyx, "I told them they had the wrong guy."

He disappeared in a portal of darkness.

"What was that about?" asked Sora, "And who's Roxas?"

"A traitor to the Organization," replied Takuya, moving to pick the stone up, determined not to look at him, "Don't know why they confusing him for you."

Takuya handed the stone to Sora, who lifted it up to the sky. The Olympic Stone glowed as it restored their strength.

"Nice," said Flamon, having changed forms immediately upon his strength returning.

"We're back in business," said Sora, "Now, let's find Meg."

They continued their way down the path to the Underdrome, not knowing what they would eventually do.

(AN10)

Sora opened the Underdrome and they entered it. When they got down there, they found Meg, tied up, and Hades waiting on them.

"Now that's what I call a key," applauded Hades, "Gee, thanks for the help, now have a nice day."

"GET BACK HERE!" said Flamon, rushing after him, only for him to disappear, "COWARD!!"

"Look who can't fight in the Underworld?" taunted Pete, Heartless with him.

"Better look harder," said Sora.

"You guys protect Meg," said Flamon, summoning flames around himself, "I've got Pete."

A voice rang out: DIGIVOLUTION!

FLAMON DIGIVOLVE TO…

AGUNIMON!

Agunimon stood ready to battle. The Heartless charged forward, only to be stopped by Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Agunimon charged forward, igniting his fists along the way. Pete summoned his shield.

"Pete's invincible," said Pete, narrating in third person.

"Think again," said Agunimon, "PYRO PUNCH!"

Agunimon sent two fireballs at Pete, sending him back against the wall, before following up with sweeping kick and a punch to the face, sending Pete sprawling across the ground.

"Whoa!" said Hercules, who had just arrived.

"What?" replied Agunimon, "He said he was invincible. I just wanted to test that. Guess he isn't."

"I'm not through yet," said Pete, getting up.

"Really," said Hercules, standing next to Agunimon.

Pete took a good long look at everyone he was fighting. He decided to do the smart thing and cut his losses.

"Get me OUT OF HERE!!" shouted Pete. He ran for the exit as soon as he could get up.

"Wimp," said Agunimon.

"What about the Hydra?" asked Sora.

"Taken care of," replied Hercules.

"Let's make sure," replied Agunimon, rushing out the Exit.

* * *

By the time Sora and the gang made it out of the Underworld, Agunimon was dodging two of the Hydra's three heads, while attacking the third with another Pyro Punch.

"About time you guys made it," said Agunimon, dodging another attempt at being eaten.

"Well, sorry we can't run as fast as you can," countered Sora, bringing out his Keyblade.

Agunimon blocked attacks from one head, only to get slammed by another into the third's mouth.

"AGUNIMON!" shouted Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as they rushed to help their friend.

After slicing off the other two heads, the third one began burning at the base, before blasting off from the body. BurningGreymon flew up, covered in guts, but would live.

"That's the last time I let something eat me again," said BurningGreymon.

Soon, the three heads turned into seven, and BurningGreymon was once again resorting to dodging heads, literally. Pegasus flew down and allowed Sora to climb on. On the back of Pegasus, Sora was able to knock out the heads of the Hydra was BurningGreymon dodged them, leaving them vulnerable. After hitting all seven, BurningGreymon and Sora landed.

"Stay back," said BurningGreymon, "You do NOT want to be near me when I burn him up."

Sora willingly obliged, getting out of range before BurningGreymon enveloped himself in flames.

"WILDFIRE TSUNAMI!!!" shouted BurningGreymon, letting loose the flames at the Hydra, effectively finishing it off.

BurningGreymon turned back into Takuya before falling to one knee again.

"Whew," said Takuya, whistling, "That was tough fight."

"I let everyone down," said Hercules, depressed, "I'm just a failure."

"So, you're gonna quit then, huh?" asked Takuya, walking over to him and Meg, "I thought a Hero kept fighting, even when he's down. Unless you're a quitter."

"Dreams are for rookies," said Hercules.

"'Quitting' is for rookies, kid," said Phil, "I'm willing to go the distance."

"And I'll be there too, right by your side," added Meg.

"Thanks," said Hercules, feeling better, if only a little bit.

"Even Heroes need rest," said Sora, "If Hades or the Heartless show up, let us know."

"We'll help Herc stay rested," added Takuya.

"Cause we're heroes," boasted Donald once more.

"When did you three make hero?" teased Meg.

"We'll save that for another time," said Sora.

Sora brought out the Olympus Stone to give to Herc when it started glowing. Sora brought out the Kingdom Key and opened the next pathway.

"Hey Sora," said Hercules, feeling his strength returning thanks to the Stone, "I think my father wants to give you something."

A bolt fell from the sky and turned into the Hero's Crest Keyblade.

"Nice craftsmanship," said Takuya, looking at the Keyblade in detail before giving it to Sora, who placed it in Hyperspace.

Sora and the gang said their goodbyes and returned to the Gummy Ship.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Disney Castle…

Queen Minnie was browsing the Library when Chip and Dale, having returned after giving the Gummy Ship to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya, ran up to her.

"Queen Minnie," said Chip.

"It's HORRIBLE," followed Dale.

"What's happened?" asked Minnie.

"It's the Cornerstone! There're thorns everywhere!!" said Dale.

Upon reaching the room of the Cornerstone of Light, there were indeed thorns growing slowly but surely around the room.

"Oh Mickey, I wish you were here," said Minnie, "Donald, Goofy, please hurry."

* * *

Another world had opened up, and Donald and Goofy were excited to visit it. They landed at Castle Disney and disembarked.

"So, this is your castle," said Sora, looking around a bit, "Must be nice to be home, huh?"

"What's wrong?" asked Takuya, before getting a bad vibe himself.

"Something just doesn't feel right," replied Goofy.

Chip and Dale had noticed the Gummy Ship land and rushed to meet them.

"Thank goodness you're back," said Chip.

"It's terrible," said Dale, "Heartless have shown up here!"

"Queen Minnie's waiting for you in the library!"

"MINNIE!?" said Takuya, before racing out of there.

"What was that all about?" asked Sora.

"After we left the Gummy Ship to you guys, we returned home," said Chip.

"Queen Minnie wasn't surprised to hear about Takuya," added Dale, "She said he had visited once before last week. Something about a delivering a letter from the King."

(AN11)

"Let's see what the queen wants," said Sora, heading up the stairs.

True enough, Heartless were in the Courtyard of Disney Castle, and the three of them began again to fight Heartless. Sora merged with Goofy again into Valor form, this time with Hero's Crest in his left hand and took down as many Heartless as possible as they moved through the Courtyard. As they got close to the library, they saw Flamon destroying about six more Heartless in one attack before retreating into the Library. They hurried to the Library as well, closing the door behind them. When they got inside, Takuya and Minnie were hugging like old friends.

"What took you guys," said Takuya, standing up after releasing Minnie.

"Your Majesty," said Donald, "Queen Minnie, we're at your service."

"Thank you for getting here so quickly," said Minnie.

"Did you happen to summon us?" asked Goofy.

"Where's the King?" asked Sora, tactlessly.

"Excuse him," said Donald, "He's Sora.

"Nice to meet you Sora," said Minnie, "But niceties will have to wait. We have a problem. The Heartless have begun showing up here as well. And I forgot to tell everyone about them in all the hurry of getting you here."

"We'll go tell 'em," said Donald.

"Sora," said Goofy, "Stay here with Queen Minnie. She shouldn't be left unprotected."

"Go guys," said Takuya, "We got this handled."

After Donald and Goofy left, Takuya turned to Sora.

"Have you ever heard of a 'Defend and Destroy' mission, Sora?" asked Takuya.

"Yeah," said Sora, "We learned about them back at school on the Islands."

"Good, cause that's what we have on our hands here," continued Takuya, moving towards the door.

"Before we go," said Minnie, "I found these a while ago when I was waiting for you to get here. I take it they're important."

Minnie handed over a few pages from the Winnie-the-Pooh Book to Sora.

"Thanks your majesty," said Sora.

"Alright, Sora," said Takuya, "Here's the mission: You defend Queen Minnie while I destroy the Heartless."

"Why you?" said Sora.

'Because my powers won't further the Organization's plan of Kingdom Hearts,' thought Takuya, but replied "Because I have more power to use and holding it back wouldn't be a good idea."

Sora paled a bit, remembering the power Takuya wielded. Keeping it back didn't seem like a good idea, so he agreed.

Takuya nodded and opened the door and rushed out, taking out Heartless left and right as Agunimon. Sora proceeded cautiously as he took out any lingering Heartless that escaped Agunimon's attack. When they got to the door, Minnie unsealed it and they went inside; however, more Heartless were already there.

"Not here too!" gasped a frightened Minnie.

"Not for long," said Agunimon, "SLIDE EVOLUTION!!!"

Data wrapped around Agunimon and Takuya became BurningGreymon.

"PYRO BARRAGE!!" shouted BurningGreymon, taking out a dozen Heartless in their path, "Go! Now!"

BurningGreymon took to the air as Sora and Minnie moved through the room. BurningGreymon took out any Heartless that dared get close enough to Sora and Minnie. One got past him, only to be destroyed by Sora. When they made it to the throne, BurningGreymon turned back into Agunimon and landed next to Sora.

"Hey," said Sora, "Still a battle to be fought."

"Show him, Minnie," said Agunimon.

Minnie pushed a secret button and the whole section of floor they were standing on began to move, lighting shining from the floor. The light destroyed the rest of the Heartless when it fully shone through.

"Whoa," said Sora, impressed.

"It's probably the most effective defense against the Heartless," said Agunimon, changing back into Takuya.

"Down here is the Cornerstone of Light," said Minnie, "It has protected Caste Disney in the past, but I'm afraid something's happened."

Sora and Takuya walked down with Queen Minnie to see the thorns that have covered the room.

'Why does this reminded me of Petaldramon?' wondered Takuya, 'Oh yeah, plant-based things surrounding the room.'

"I wonder why this is happening now," said Minnie, "I've looked up everything I could think of in the Library, but I didn't find a thing."

Suddenly, green flames appeared, and Maleficent appeared in ghostly form.

"MALEFICENT!" shouted Donald.

"That's Maleficent!?" said Takuya.

"What are you doing here, Maleficent?" asked Minnie.

"I'd thought I'd change my home address," said Maleficent, "The Hallow Bastion is getting too bright for my liking, so I thought I'd darkened Castle Disney instead."

"Get out of here," said Takuya.

"Very well," said Maleficent, "But I will return, once Castle Disney has been changed to suit my darkness perfectly."

And with that, Maleficent was gone.

"Dang," said Takuya, "If only we had an idea of what was happening."

"Why don't we go ask Merlin?" asked Goofy.

"Yeah," said Donald, "He knows more than any book could tell us."

"Go," said Takuya, "I'll stay here to protect the queen. Even in here, we can only stay safe for so long. Hurry!"

"Right," said Sora.

He, Donald, and Goofy left on the Gummy ship and headed to Hollow Bastion.

"I've seen the King," said Takuya, "He's trying to find the Organization's world so we can reach it and put a stop to them."

"I know that with everyone's help, the worlds will be safe once more," replied Queen Minnie.

Takuya and Minnie spent the next ten minutes or so waiting on Sora and the gang to get back by catching up what had been happening. Takuya was getting to the part about Auron when they heard Donald's voice.

"…Heartless in every part of the castle," said Donald, appearing with Sora, Goofy, and Merlin, "The Queen is in danger!"

"I don't think I've seen better timing," said Takuya, joining them with Minnie.

Merlin took one look at the cornerstone and the thorns around it and didn't like what he saw.

"Someone's tampering with this world's natural order," said Merlin, "And they're using the power of Wood to secure the changes as well."

"You mean!?" said Takuya.

"Yes," said Merlin, "Someone's gotten access to the Spirits of Wood and is using them for evil purposes."

Merlin called forth his magic and summoned a door.

"What's that?" asked Sora.

"That, my boy, is the gate to a very special world. Unfortunately, there are two of these gates and it seems as if someone has found the other gate. They're using that gate to access that world and messing up this one."

"Well," said Sora, "Let's go stop them."

"Hold on," said Merlin, "Just remember: that world and this one are linked. Anything you do wrong in that world can have grave consequences with this one."

"I'll make sure they don't do anything stupid," said Takuya.

"One more thing," said Merlin, "You must lock that other door so no one can use it for evil again."

"Right, said Sora.

Sora opened the door and the four of them stepped through, not knowing what waits for them.

(Timeless River)

The door opened and threw out the four of them.

"Next time," said Takuya, getting up, "I'm jumping through."

"That's the Cornerstone of Light," said Goofy.

"Why's everything black and white?" asked Sora.

"You travel to different worlds, and your worried about your coloring??" asked Takuya.

"Why does seem like," asked Donald, "Like…?"

"Déjà vu?" guessed Goofy.

'Well, special world = time travel I guess,' figured Takuya in his head.

"Really?" said Sora, "Have you been here before?"

"Whoa, 10 o'clock guys!" said Takuya, noticing a very familiar someone rushing by in a hurry.

"Hey you! See any bad guys around here?" asked Pete.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy immediately pointed at him.

"WHY I OUGHTA!" declared Pete.

Takuya stepped between them, "Whoa there. Sorry about that. My friends are mistaking you for someone else."

"I don't have time for wrong place, wrong time," said Pete, heading off, "I'll let you off with a warning this time.

"That was our villain, Takuya," said Sora.

"I know he seems mean," said Takuya, turning around to face them, "But if you got a good look at him, you'd realize he didn't even know you guys, especially you Sora. I'd say _that_ Pete has no clue about the Heartless OR Maleficent."

"But what about…?" started Sora.

"If you want the truth," said Takuya, "Then go on to the Pier."

Sora sighed as he, Donald, and Goofy went after Pete. Takuya sighed himself.

"Sometimes, you gotta learn the hard way."

"Good to know," said a voice from behind him, "I've learned to knock you out before you can change form!"

Takuya turned around to see the Pete he battle before in the Underdrome. Before he could do anything, Pete decked him, knocking him out and dragging him to his old boat. By the time Sora, Donald and Goofy returned, they couldn't see Takuya.

"Where is he?" asked Sora.

"Maybe he's in one of those doors," said Donald, pointing at the four doors that had appeared.

So, they went through each of the doors, taking out Heartless with the Mickey Mouse of the past, but couldn't find Takuya.

"Where could he be?" asked Donald, before Goofy cried out.

"The Cornerstone!!" shouted Goofy.

They turned and found that the Cornerstone was missing. They looked towards the waterway and saw Pete laughing evilly before heading back to his old boat. A few seconds later Pete came running by, chasing after Pete. He stopped when he noticed the others.

"Hey," said Pete, "I just found the pipsqueak what stole my boat. He had that kid on there too. He looked out of it."

"TAKUYA!" shouted Sora.

"Come on," said Pete, "If ya want your friend back, then follow me!"

Pete raced to the waterway with Sora, Donald, and Goofy behind him. When they caught up with Pete, he was arguing with Pete about his boat.

"Your future's on the line if you don't get out of my way!" said Pete, knocking Pete back and turning towards the others, "And if you guys are smart, you'll stay out of my way, otherwise your friend will…"

Pete turned to where he placed Takuya, only to find no one there.

"Where'd he?" asked Pete, before being knocked out by a Thunder spell from Sora.

Sora then jumped on the crane and held himself there while he took out the sides of the crate. After destroying it, Pete fell into the water. He got to shore and ran for the door he came through. The three of them went after him, only to find him being confronted by Pete. They battled alongside Pete against Pete and managed to defeat him. He muttered something about payback and left through the door. Sora locked the door, so it couldn't be used for evil ever again. Pete turned to the others.

"Thanks for that," said Pete, "Who was that guy anyways."

"That's a secret," said Goofy, preventing Sora from spilling the beans.

"Secret eh?" replied Pete, "I have a feeling I'll find out eventually. For saving my boat, I'll let you pilot it back to return the Cornerstone. Besides, my first mate, Mickey, is late."

When they got back to the boat, Takuya was waiting for them.

"About time you guys got back," said Takuya.

"Where were you?" asked Sora.

"Around," said Takuya, remembering what happened.

(Flashback)

_When Takuya came to, he found himself on the bridge. He looked at who saved him, only to find Mickey Mouse._

"_Thanks, Mickey," said Takuya._

"_How do you know my name?" asked Mickey._

"_Let's just say you have an interesting future ahead of you."_

_They turned and saw Sora and the others take on Pete with Pete's help._

"_I think we better secure the Cornerstone of Light," said Takuya._

"_I agree," replied Mickey._

_They jumped off the bridge and hopped on the boat before Sora and company made it back._

(Flashback End)

Donald pulled on the whistle cord for the boat, making smoke come out of the whistles. The smoke formed the Monochrome Keyblade, which Sora sent into Hyperspace. They returned the Cornerstone of light to its proper place and returned through the door back to the present (or future).

* * *

(Disney Castle)

The thorns began disappearing when the door reopened. All that was left was two small figurines that glowed and went into Takuya's D-Tector as soon as he walked through the door.

"Well, that ends that," said Takuya, looking at the spirits in his D-Tector.

"Welcome back," said Minnie, "Thanks to you, the Castle is protected once again by the Cornerstone of Light."

"Good work guys," said Chip and Dale.

"Now, I hope everything went alright in there," said Merlin, "Nothing too outrageous, right?"

"Yeah," said Takuya, "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Just doing our job," added Sora.

Daisy entered the room, and Donald ran up to her, only for her to yell at him for missing out on their last date.

'A year _is_ pretty late to miss a date,' thought Takuya.

Sora's Keyblade glowed, as well as the Cornerstone, allowing Sora unlocked the next pathway.

"Well, that's our cue that we're needed in the next world," said Sora.

"Before you go," said Merlin, "Take this. I have a feeling it will help you on your journey."

Merlin gave a boost of magic to Sora, allowing him to access Wisdom Form by merging with Donald.

"See ya Minnie," said Takuya.

"You're welcome to visit any time," said Minnie.

So, the group of four left Castle Disney in search of the next world in trouble.

(Chapter End)

Well, that was a long chapter.

Interestingly enough, we kind of covered three worlds, if you consider the Timeless River a different World than Castle Disney.

Alright time for the Character reviews:

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome

Drives: Valor, Wisdom

* * *

Name: Hercules

Occupation: Hero of his world, Son of Zeus

Weapons of choice: his mind, his strength, and his sword

Keyblade: none

* * *

Name: Phil

Occupation: Trainer of Heroes

Keyblade: None

Weapon of choice: the Heroes he trains

* * *

Name: Megara

Nickname: Meg

Occupation: (unknown)

* * *

Name: Minnie Mouse

Alias: Queen Minnie

Occupation: Queen of Disney Castle

Weapon of Choice: Light

* * *

Name: Pete

Occupation: Boat Captain

Weapon of choice: his fists

* * *

Name: Daisy

Occupation: friend of Queen Minnie

Weapon: her mouth

* * *

Name: Kairi

Occupation: Princess of Light

Keyblade: (none right now)

Other information: best friend and love interest of Sora as well as best friend of Riku

* * *

Name: Namine

Occupation: Memory Witch

Weapon of Choice: Manipulation of Memories

Affiliation: Nobody of Kairi when Sora became a Heartless

* * *

Alright, time for Author notes.

AN1: Well, the book anyways. A different Heartless have gotten away with the pages already.

AN2: I feel like do this every time someone has to check himself or herself every step of the way. The sarcastic part, I mean.

AN3: I guess Hades has been paying attention the past year or so.

AN4: A walking skeleton or the Lord of the Underworld, which would you pick?

AN5: How he ended up in the Underworld is beyond me.

AN6: Auron, for my lack of knowledge on him, happens to be one of my fav. characters for this one epic line he has.

AN7: Yeah, I'm gonna leave this a cliffhanger. You'll find out what happens later.

AN8: I really hate it when people put 'nod their heads no' or 'shake their heads yes'. It's nod=yes and shake=no. Get it straight people.

AN9: Yeah, like they're gonna find Meg in five minutes. Good luck trying to do that.

AN10: Which would be opening up a place for about five or six Tournaments and hundreds of fights to take place.

AN11: Well, back story FTW!!! Also, the scene with Takuya happens a few days before Roxas finds Sora, so don't think that it's only been like hours or something between those two scenes. I will say that it takes a few hours for Sora to wake up after Roxas returns to him, given that Namine had to finish putting back together Sora's memories in that time.

Okay, I think that's it. I won't be updating tomorrow simply for the fact that I have other stuff to do.

Dx: Wow, you actually have a life? Someone call the presses!!

(Smack!!)

DragonX falls down unconscious.

Okay, until another time…

Later,

RDF1


	4. Hot and Cold Winds, and Kairi's Return

Okay, time for another chapter of Digital Kingdom Hearts!!

Dx: If only there were some good parts coming up.

RDF1: Don't be like that. One has to have patience for anything good to happen to them.

Alright, I did some research and found that Riku's first Keyblade, through the possession of Xehanort's Heartless Ansem, is actually the 'Keyblade of People's Hearts'. It actually makes sense when you think about it. It was made from the hearts of the Princesses of Heart, minus Kairi.

Let's get going…

Disclaimer: Don't own what I haven't mentioned already. You know the drill.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_The thorns began disappearing when the door reopened. All that was left was two small figurines that glowed and went into Takuya's D-Tector as soon as he walked through the door._

"_Well, that ends that," said Takuya, looking at the spirits in his D-Tector._

"_Welcome back," said Minnie, "Thanks to you, the Castle is protected once again by the Cornerstone of Light."_

"_Good work guys," said Chip and Dale._

"_Now, I hope everything went alright in there," said Merlin, "Nothing too outrageous, right?"_

"_Yeah," said Takuya, "Nothing out of the ordinary."_

"_Just doing our job," added Sora._

_Daisy entered the room, and Donald ran up to her, only for her to yell at him for missing out on their last date._

'_A year __**is**__ pretty late to miss a date,' thought Takuya._

_Sora's Keyblade glowed, as well as the Cornerstone, allowing Sora unlocked the next pathway._

"_Well, that's our cue that we're needed in the next world," said Sora._

"_Before you go," said Merlin, "Take this. I have a feeling it will help you on your journey."_

_Merlin gave a boost of magic to Sora, allowing him to access Wisdom Form by merging with Donald._

"_See ya Minnie," said Takuya._

"_You're welcome to visit any time," said Minnie._

_So, the group of four left Castle Disney in search of the next world in trouble._

(Recap End)

(Port Royal)

When the four of them landed in the next world, it looked even more different than any world before it.

"This place is…" started Sora.

"Kind of different," finished Goofy.

"Somehow, this seems familiar," said Takuya, "But I can't remember when."

"Maybe we'll find out if we explore a bit," said Donald.

Soon, they heard screams from just about everywhere at once.

"The Organization!" wondered Goofy.

"What about the Heartless?" guessed Donald.

"Maybe something even worse," said Takuya, looking down towards the boat in the harbor.

So, the four of them went down to the harbor, only to find Pete with some residents of the world.

"See what I mean," said Pete, having conversed with the residents for the past few minutes, "they're the punks I was telling you about."

"Punks!?" said Takuya, "Now, that's just rude."

"It's Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya to you, Pete!!" replied Sora, "Don't you forget it!!"

"That we won't," said the leader of the group, Captain Hector Barbossa, "We'll even engrave it on your tombstones, to be sure."

"Whoa," said Pete, impressed, "I like the way you talk."

"You got a name?" asked Takuya.

"Name's Barbossa," replied Barbossa, "Though you won't need to remember it for long. Take 'em out, gents."

"Aw," said Sora, slightly disappointed, "We only get to stomp on a few of ya?"

"I wouldn't write them off so soon," said Takuya, "They're strong enough to scare the townsfolk here."

"We got it covered," said Sora.

The Pirates charged. However, do to the curse of them being immortal, Sora and the others couldn't harm them.

"It's no use," said Sora, "We can't even touch them."

"Aye," said one of the pirates, "What do you expect? We're cursed immortals."

"That means you're weakness lies in how the curse affects you," said Takuya.

Soon, the clouds rolled away, revealing the full moon, turning the pirates into pirate skeletons.

"Not something you'd want to see in your nightmares," said Takuya, disgusted by their appearance.

"Watch out!" said Pete, "They can see your true forms. Stay away from their magic!"

"That's it," said Sora, figuring out what Takuya meant, "Thanks Pete!"

With the full moon showing the Pirates true form, it didn't take long for Sora and the others to take care of the pirates. Pete left, knowing that he couldn't win against those brats, even if he had an army of Heartless by his side.

(AN1)

"If Pete's here, then we have work to do," said Sora.

"Not to mention that Pirate Captain looked pretty mean too," said Goofy.

"He talks a good game," said Takuya, "I have a feeling he'll be able to back it up too."

"Hey, since we're here," said Sora, "Why not take a pirate ship out for a spin?"

This earned Sora a smack on the head from Takuya.

"I was kidding, jeez," said Sora, rubbing his head.

"I like pirates as much as the next kid does, but get serious. There a still pirates in town, we need to help the people here if we can."

In town, they saw a few pirates taking a woman down to their ship. A man was after them, only to be stopped by Heartless. Sora and the others intervened, allowing Will to go after them. They were kept busy by the Heartless long enough for the Pirates to get away with Elisabeth, much to Will's dismay. He returned to Sora and the others.

"Nice work," said Will, "I'm not too bad myself, but I have not faced such foes before."

"You think so?" asked Sora, not really finding it hard to defeat Heartless after battling them for so long.

(AN2)

"Did you find your friend?" asked Goofy.

"I was too late," said Will, "But, I have to rescue her from those Pirates. Will you help me?"

'Why do people feel the need to ask us to help when we already agree to do so upon arriving here?' thought Takuya as Sora agreed to help Will.

"The name's Sora," introduced Sora, "This is Donald, Goofy, and Takuya."

"Mine is William Turner," relied Will, "But you may call me Will."

By the time they made it to the Harbor, the _Black Pearl_ had already left, leaving them stranded.

"We're too late," said Will.

"I could Spirit Evolve," suggested Takuya.

"They would spot you before you leave. They would shoot you down before you got close," replied Will, "I'm afraid I'll never find her."

"Then she's long gone," said a voice from behind spoke up, "The _Black Pearl_ is nigh uncatchable by boat. Best find yourself another girl, mate."

The five of them turned around to see Jack Sparrow boarding the _Interceptor_.

"You're not supposed to be up there," said Will, "The _Interceptor_ is off-limits to Civilians."

"Then it's fortunate that I'm going to commandeer her, then," said Jack, "She'll make a fine pirate ship."

"Pirate?" perked up Sora.

Takuya placed his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"And which pirate are we following for the duration of this quest?" asked Takuya.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," said Jack, "and you are free to help me as you please."

'That seems familiar, but I can't place where,' thought Takuya.

"I freed you from jail, Sparrow," said Will, "You owe me a debt, and by the pirate's code you are bound to fulfill that debt. Help me rescue Miss Swann by hunting down the Black Pearl and I'll consider the debt fulfilled."

"Accepted, if only on the terms that you help me sail this ship," said Jack, "But the heart of the fair maiden be yours to win over."

"I'm Sora," said Sora, "This is Donald, Goofy, and Takuya."

"And I'm Will Turner," added Will.

"That would be short for William," said Jack, "Named after your father, am I right?"

"Yes," replied Will, not liking the tone that Jack spoke with.

"Get us shipshape and seaworthy," said Jack, "I have some effects to liberate."

"You really want to be a pirate, Sora?" asked Goofy.

"Who doesn't as a kid," replied Takuya, "But knowing what a Pirate does and actually experiencing it are two different things."

"What do you think of this Will?" asked Jack.

"Don't really know," replied Sora, "Just met the guy."

"I do feel that we can trust him, though," said Takuya.

"Indeed," said Jack, "I think my luck's a changing."

* * *

As they were sailing to Isle de Muerta, Heartless appeared on the ship, forcing the crew to do battle with them. When they made it to the Isle, Jack and Will went inside to rescue Elisabeth. After a while of waiting, Sora was getting worried about Jack and Will and wanted to go after them. They got inside the cave, fighting Heartless, as only they knew how, only to find Will and Elisabeth running out.

"Where's Jack?" asked Sora.

"Fell behind," replied Will, "The pirates are right behind us."

"Get the ship ready," said Agunimon, "We'll hold them off."

Will and Elisabeth headed for the _Interceptor_, leaving Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Agunimon behind to hold off the pirates. Sora changed to Valor form to fight at a higher level. After a few minutes, a cannon shot rang out from _Interceptor_ and they made their retreat, Agunimon leaving behind a wall of fire to deter the pirates.

Unfortunately, as they made their way back to Port Royal, more pirates were able to get aboard. They fought off as best they could, given the amount of moonlight that could show their true form. After finishing off the pirates and making their way back to Port Royal, the _Black Pearl_ had caught up with the _Interceptor_. A cannonball hit the ship, forcing Will overboard. A second rocked the ship, sending the others to the deck.

"That's it," said Takuya, getting up with fury, "EXECUTE!! BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION!!"

BurningGreymon took to the sky, using Pyro Barrage to take out some of the cannons, before another hit him in his wing, sending him into the sea.

"TAKUYA!" shouted Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Elisabeth.

Soon, Barbossa and the rest of his crew surround them.

"I'll be taking that Medallion now, boy," said Barbossa, "Unless, their lives are worth losing by keeping it."

"BARBOSSA!" shouted Will, with Takuya over his shoulders, "She goes free."

"Shoot," said Barbossa, "It's a wasted shot."

"Not on me," said Will, pulling the gun to his chin, after setting Takuya down.

Takuya gripped his shoulder tightly, as to pressure down the pain that shot through it when his wing was pierced by the cannonball.

(AN3)

"I'll give you one thing, Barbossa," said Takuya, in pain, "You're crew is a good shot."

"We pirates always aim for our mark," said Barbossa, before turning to Will, "You have a name we might be interested in?"

"William Turner, Son of Bootstrap Bill Turner," replied Will.

"Name your terms," said Barbossa.

"Release Elisabeth, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya," said Will.

"What else?" asked Barbossa.

"Leave. NOW!" ordered Will.

"Aye," said Barbossa, "We'll leave, but the Heartless stay."

A laugh from Pete got their attention. Pete had knocked out Will and punched Takuya in his bad shoulder.

"That was for what happened in the Underdrome," said Pete, making his way over to Barbossa.

After tying them up and locking them below deck, Barbossa and Pete bid them farewell, after telling them that the ship was rigged with explosives.

"I'm never trusting pirates again," said Sora.

"What'll we do?" asked Donald.

"We'll be blown to pieces," said Goofy.

"Why fight it?" countered Jack, "A pirate knows when the game is up."

"You can't be serious," said Sora.

"Your average pirate, anyways," said Jack, cutting loose his bonds with a hidden knife, "Luckily, I'm not average in any way, shape, or form. We need to get rid of that powder. I'm not about to lose this ship that easily."

"I still won't trust pirates again," said Sora.

"Wise policy, lad," replied Jack, "One that I happen to follow myself."

Jack set about freeing them, and Donald casted a Cura spell on Takuya, healing his wounded shoulder.

"Thanks, Donald," said Takuya, rotating his shoulder to get the feeling back into it, "But it won't be a hundred percent for awhile."

They headed upstairs, only to see the Heartless trying to set off the gunpowder. With timely effort, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Takuya, and Jack managed to get the five barrels off before they blew the ship up. Jack got to the helm.

"That's the second time I've watched that man sail away on my ship," said Jack, angrier than ever, "I won't let it happen a third time."

(AN4)

When they landed, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya noticed another purple sphere, this one with daggers in it.

"Another one?" asked Sora.

"They gotta mean something," said Takuya, "We'll find out later. Right now Will needs our help."

"Bring him back safely," said Elisabeth.

"We will," said Sora.

They headed towards the cave, taking out pirates under the moonlight and Heartless on the way there.

"The last of the Aztec treasure has been returned," said Barbossa, finishing his speech, "And now, the blood will be repaid to free us from this curse forever!! This time for sure."

"Ahoy! Treasure, mateys," said Sora, getting their attention.

"Not possible," said Barbossa.

"Not probable," countered Donald, "We're alive and we're pirates!"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," said you-know-who.

"Sora!" said Sora.

"Donald Duck!" followed Donald.

"Goofy, too," added Goofy.

"Last, but not least: Takuya!!" said Takuya.

(AN5)

"You want to play pirate?" laughed Barbossa, "Save it for the nursery! ATTACK!!"

The pirates charged, but were knocked back quickly due to the moonlight being directly overhead, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Jack, having managed to swipe a piece of the treasure, was battling Barbossa.

"Get him Jack," said Sora.

"Eh?" asked Jack, distracted by Sora.

This gave Barbossa the opportunity to stab Jack in the chest. Jack fell back, only to turn into a skeleton under the moonlight, like the other pirates before him.

(AN6)

"Sorry, mate. Couldn't resist," was all Jack had to say.

"Pete, the tide's changed," called out Barbossa, "Show ya self."

"Here ya go," said Pete, "One light snuffing Heartless at your service."

Indeed, a Heartless with a flame on his tail jumped down, taking with it the light.

"Alright," said Flamon, "if it's light you take, I got plenty of it!"

DIGIVOLUTION!

"Flamon Digivolve to…" said Flamon, "Agunimon!!"

Ignoring the twinge of pain in his should, Agunimon jumped over the treasure and summoned forth his Pyro Tornado attack, bringing the Heartless right to him, destroying it, and relighting the room with moonlight. Barbossa fought better than any pirate Sora had ever faced against, forcing him to merge with Donald into Wisdom Form. He shot magical bullets at range distance and a few thunder spells at close range. Barbossa swung his sword at Sora, hoping to catch him off guard, only for Sora to hold the sword down with his foot. Barbossa brought out his hidden pistol, only for Sora to knock it away with his Keyblade. The Heartless returned, for all of two seconds in which Agunimon destroyed with a quick punch. Barbossa fell back, facing off against Jack.

"Care to surrender, Barbossa," said Jack.

"We be two immortals lock in eternal combat," said Barbossa, "How's one of us giving up gonna end it?"

"Like this," said Jack, throwing his piece to Will and taking out his pistol and using it's only shot on Barbossa.

"All that," laughed Barbossa, "And it's still a wasted shot."

"Not wasted," said Will, holding the last two pieces of the treasure in his bleeding hand, and a knife in the other.

He dropped the two pieces, allowing the bullet to do its intended damage, taking out Barbossa, which it did.

* * *

They reconvened outside near the _Pearl_.

"What now, Jack?" asked Will.

"I have the _Pearl_," said Jack, "I'm off to Tortuga to get a crew. I'm still a pirate and all that."

"Indeed," said Takuya.

"Take care, Jack," said Sora.

"Just remember to be good," added Donald.

"Won't make promises I know I won't be able to keep."

"Will!" shouted Elisabeth, running to her old friend, hugging him like no tomorrow.

"Good for them," said Sora, his cheeks starting to blush thinking about someone he cared about.

(AN7)

"Sora, why is your face all red," teased Goofy.

"It is not," denied Sora, though lying through his teeth.

"I know who you're thinking about," added Donald.

Takuya let loose a small smile, remembering someone from his own world that he cared about.

(AN8)

Before Jack could leave, his compass glowed a familiar glow.

"What's this then?" asked Jack.

Sora brought out his Kingdom Key and unlocked the next world.

"What just happened?" asked Will.

"A new pathway has opened," said Sora.

"Hey," said Takuya, "What's this?"

Takuya picked up a small axe that glowed before turning into the 'Follow the Wind' Keyblade.

"Guess I have another one, huh?" asked Sora, taking the Keyblade and putting it into Hyperspace.

They said their farewells and returned to the Gummy Ship.

* * *

(Agrabah)

After months of being stuffed into a tiny lamp, Iago finally got free of Jafar, and decided to head to Agrabah. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to try and convince Aladdin and Jasmine to let him stay. That he had turned over a new leaf. What he didn't expect was for Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya to land in Agrabah that very same day.

"Agrabah," said Donald, "We made it."

"I wonder how Aladdin and Jasmine are doing," added Goofy.

"Maybe Riku's with them," said Sora.

"Yeah, and the King," said Goofy.

"I don't know," said Takuya, "Something doesn't feel right here."

Iago flew behind him, and he turned around.

"And who are you?" asked Takuya, extending his hand for Iago to land on it.

"No way," said Goofy, getting the others' attention, "It's Iago!"

Sora and Donald brought out their weapons on instinct.

"Wait a second," said Iago, "Give me a second chance. I don't want to work with Jafar. I even escaped from him because I never liked him in the first place. It was that sorcery of his that kept me from defying him."

"He does have a point," said Takuya.

"If I was still with him, then why isn't the lamp with me, or me freeing him with one of the wishes he has to grant now?" asked Iago, making an even stronger point.

"What does that have to do with us?" asked Sora, "Why can't you just go about your new freedom alone?"

"I want to apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine as well," replied Iago, "I want to make amends, but I know they wouldn't trust me after what happened."

"Well, I don't know," said Sora.

"Please," said Iago, before noticing something, "Watch out! Heartless!!!"

Sure enough, Heartless were surrounding them. However, every time they took out one Heartless, another one took its place.

"Hang on guys," said Flamon, "Get down!"

Sora and the others ducked while Flamon used his tail as a whip and destroyed every Heartless in one attack.

"How's that?" taunted Flamon, only for about a dozen more to show up, "Aw, come on, at least back in my world they know when they are beaten."

Two went for Iago, who flew past them, by a pile of stuff that fell over on a few of the Heartless.

"This way!" said Sora.

Sora and the others ran for it. They managed to find a hiding spot while the Heartless went past.

"If it weren't for Iago, we wouldn't have gotten out of there," said Goofy.

"Yeah," agreed Sora, albeit a bit reluctantly, "I guess we owe you one."

"Thank you," said Iago, knowing what that meant.

"You'll need to win Aladdin and Jasmine's trust on you own," added Sora.

"Where would Aladdin be anyways?" asked Takuya.

"Probably at the Palace," said Iago, "Considering how close he and Jasmine are."

"Let's go," said Sora.

So, they made their way to the palace, avoiding the Heartless for once, and they found Princess Jasmine there.

"Jasmine," said Sora.

"Your majesty," said Donald, as he, Sora, and Goofy bowed in respect.

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy," said Jasmine, "It's so good to see you again. Who's your friend?"

"His name's Takuya," said Sora.

"Nice to meet you, Takuya," said Jasmine, "I never got the chance to thank you guys for all your help last time you were here."

"It was nothing," replied Sora, before changing subjects, "but it looks like the Heartless are bringing back some trouble. Need some help?"

"I think we're safe for now," replied Jasmine.

"Don't forget," said Goofy, "There's always Aladdin."

"He hasn't been himself lately, though," said Jasmine.

"Is it the Heartless?" asked Donald.

"I don' think so," said Jasmine, "He's usually the same sweet Aladdin I've known, but sometimes he's different. He says nothing's wrong, but I don't think he's telling the truth."

"I'm sure he has a good reason," said Takuya.

"Like maybe a secret girlfriend," said Iago, before Takuya could shut him up.

"Hold onto him Takuya," said Jasmine, thoroughly upset at Iago's return, "I'll get the guards. Wait here."

"What was that for??" demanded Iago.

"You don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?" asked Takuya.

"Maybe Aladdin might be more understanding," said Goofy.

"Let's go find him," said Takuya, releasing Iago and heading back into town.

After searching the town for about ten minutes, they heard a voice.

"STOP THIEF!!" shouted a peddler.

Abu, the monkey, ran by with something in his hands at high speeds.

"Hi, Sora," said Aladdin, running after Abu.

Soon, the peddler followed Aladdin, and Sora's group followed the peddler. After cornering Abu, the peddler spoke up.

"If you can't control that monkey of yours," he said, "then keep him on a leash!"

"I'm sorry," said Aladdin, before turning back to Abu, "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Abu reluctantly gave back what he stole, a black lamp, to Aladdin, and he gave it back to the peddler. The Peddler headed back to his store. Abu went to greet Sora and the others as they approached.

"Mind explaining what that was about?" asked Takuya.

"Abu has this habit he's yet to break," said Aladdin, "He just can't keep his hands off of other people's stuff."

Abu screeched, something only Iago could understand, and Iago realized why Abu had taken _that_ lamp.

"Well, you can't be that different if you still having a few laughs," said Sora.

"Who said I was acting different?" asked Aladdin.

"Princess Jasmine," said Goofy, "She's worried that you're not staying at the Palace like before."

"Is it a new girlfriend?" asked Donald.

"No way," said Aladdin, "My heart belongs to Jasmine. You know that. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised by her reaction. Genie and Carpet left after you guys did and haven't been back since, seeing the world and all. It's just…"

"You miss him, don't you?" said Takuya, "He was your first friend and you haven't seen him in awhile, huh?"

"Exactly," replied Aladdin.

"Must be boring without him, right?" said Sora.

"Yeah. That's why I come to the marketplace. There's always something going on around here. I mean, you guys are here, right?"

"Sora?" said Goofy, getting their attention.

"Iago!?" said Aladdin, surprised to see him.

Takuya went over to him and picked him up.

"He wants to apologize for what he did," said Sora.

"He does, does he?" said Aladdin, a bit skeptical.

"Just look at him," said Goofy, "He so sorry he can't stop shaking."

"What's wrong?" asked Takuya.

"That lamp," said Iago, fear etched in every part of his body, "I know that lamp."

"Are you sure?" asked Aladdin, "There must be dozens."

"Not like that," said Iago, "I was stuck inside that thing for months. I know it's Jafar's lamp!"

"JAFAR!!" exclaimed Sora, Aladdin, Donald, and Goofy.

"Bad memory?" asked Takuya.

"Worst you can imagine," said Sora.

So, they hightailed it over to the peddler's shop, taking out Heartless along the way. When they got there, the peddler was still holding the lamp.

"Is there any way we can buy that lamp from you?" asked Sora.

"Of course," said the peddler, not saying no to a customer, "that is, IF you can afford it."

"How much?" asked Flamon.

"How about royal trea…" said Donald, before Sora and Goofy shut him up.

"Maybe it's another Lamp I can interest you in," said the peddler, moving to place Jafar's lamp down.

"How about just handing it over," said Flamon, igniting his hands.

"Sorry," said the peddler, "It's in the unwritten laws of all peddlers: only accept money or equal value exchanges."

(AN9)

"Could you hold onto it while we get the asking price?" asked Sora.

"Unless someone comes up with a better offer," said the peddler, "it should still be here."

They reconvened with Aladdin outside.

"This one's gonna be tricky," said Aladdin, "I don't think the Sultan or Jasmine want to pay for Jafar back."

"Who would?" asked Takuya.

"How about the Cave of Wonders?" asked Iago, "That has lots of treasure just waiting to be taken."

"Wasn't it cursed?" asked Takuya.

"At one time," said Aladdin, "But I think since I got Genie's Lamp out of there, then maybe the curse has lifted."

So, they made their way through the bazaar, taking out Heartless with a Limit Breaker, before heading out into the desert. When they got to the entrance of the Cave of Wonders, Pete was already there. He went inside, but not before leaving some Heartless outside to hold them off. After a quick battle, they headed inside themselves.

"I thought the Cave of Wonders would have some restriction on who could enter?" asked Takuya.

"Maybe it's the same as the curse," replied Aladdin, "Since it's lifted, maybe anybody can enter now."

Sora merged with Goofy into Valor form as they made their way down, taking out Heartless right and left. About halfway through, there was a challenge to be done.

"'You have two minutes to defeat your foes,'" translated Takuya, "Well, this shouldn't take long."

The platform they were on vanished, and Heartless appeared with each level they descended. With a timer on the clock, they didn't waste any time taking out Heartless, Sora merging with Goofy once more into Valor to save on time.

"We did that in with 44 seconds left," said Takuya, looking at the timer on the wall.

They entered the chamber and saw a trophy fit for a sultan in the back, amongst all the treasure.

"Think that would work?" asked Sora.

"We'll see," said Aladdin, "We have to keep Jafar from escaping that lamp.

Unbeknownst to them, Pete had heard them. He turned out the lights and summoned Heartless to keep them busy while he went to get Jafar. After taking care of the Heartless, they headed back to Agrabah.

* * *

By the time they got to the Peddler's shop, Pete was trying to force him to hand the lamp over. The peddler managed to get out of his shop and over towards the palace. Pete chased after him, with Sora and friends chasing after Pete. After a few steals here and there between them, Iago took it upon himself to take the lamp out of their hands.

"Over here, Iago," said Takuya.

"Don't drop it!" shouted Donald.

"Behind you!" warned Goofy.

Iago managed to get both Pete and the peddler to run into a wall, before he ran into the wall adjacent to it.

"Iago," sighed Takuya.

"Nice try, Birdbrain," said Pete, picking up the lamp, "Once Jafar is free, I make him into one doozy of a Heartless."

The others tried to intervene, before the ground started shaking. A plink in the sky later, and Genie made an epic return from his trip around the world. After making a monkey outta Pete, his patience wore thin.

"That's it," said Pete, "Plan B time. I'll finish you off right now!"

Pete then slammed the ground, and summoned two Heartless that were masters over fire and ice.

"EXECUTE!!" shouted Takuya, "SPIRIT EVOLUTION!!"

Agunimon jumped forward and caught the fire Heartless before it could set fire to the ground.

"You think you're a master of fire," said Agunimon, "I'll show you who's a true master! PYRO TORNADO!!"

One flaming Tornado later revealed the Heartless had absorbed the power.

"Okay…" said Agunimon, surprised by this development, "Maybe you are a master of fire."

Meanwhile, the ice Heartless was giving major trouble to the others, as Donald and Goofy were already frozen and Aladdin was trapped knee deep in ice. Sora wasn't doing much better as he dodged the ice shards.

"Agunimon!" shouted Sora, "Switch!!"

"Right," said Agunimon, running towards Sora.

They gave each other a high-five before taking on each other's battle. Sora used a Blizzard spell on the fire Heartless, and his flames died down some. A few quick strikes of the Keyblade combined with the Blizzard element later, and the fire Heartless was destroyed.

Meanwhile, Agunimon was heating things up for the ice Heartless. He also managed to free the others. Genie popped in behind Agunimon.

"Hey, wanna double team him?" asked Genie.

"Thought you'd never ask," said Agunimon, summoning his flames.

Genie used his Semi-Phenomenal, Nearly Cosmic Powers to boost Agunimon's fire to destroy the ice Heartless in one scorching blast of fire.

After the battle was over, they buried the lamp under the palace, in a tomb to protect it from being opened again.

They met up again outside, and Jasmine gave Iago a chance to explain things. With the other's help, Jasmine decided to allow Iago to stay at the palace with the promise of never attempting to steal the treasury or seize power in any way.

Minutes later, Abu came running in with a valuable egg that he had swiped at the Cave of Wonders, with Aladdin on his tail.

"Isn't this how we first came in?" asked Takuya, getting nods from his companions.

Luckily enough, the Jewel glowed, giving Sora the prompt to open up the next pathway to the next world.

"Looks like it's time to say goodbye," said Sora.

"Make sure to come back and visit," said Jasmine.

"We will," said Sora, "I promise."

"Before you go," said Genie, bringing out the Lamp Charm and giving it to Sora, "Take this, in case you might need some Semi-Phenomenal, Nearly Cosmic Powers to help out."

"Thanks, Genie," said Sora.

"See ya later," said Takuya.

And with that, the group of four left Agrabah for the next world.

* * *

(The World That Never Was)

Pluto was never one for tact, or direction with it. He somehow managed to get himself in the Organization's world. Luckily enough, they didn't pay him any attention. However, Riku and Mickey did notice him, and Riku opened a dark portal for Pluto. Mickey called out to Pluto, inviting him into the Portal, which Pluto took no hesitation in accepting.

* * *

(Destiny Islands)

Meanwhile, on Destiny Islands, Sora and Riku's home world, Kairi was once again looking at Play Island where she, Sora, and Riku played at when they were younger. Over the last year, Sora had been taken from the memories of everyone, even Kairi; however, their bond was strong enough that Kairi knew he existed, even if she couldn't remember his name. After a brief contact with Roxas, she remembered Sora and was anxiously awaiting his return. But after a week with no word, she was getting worried.

"Maybe… waiting isn't good enough," said Kairi, saddened that Sora and Riku hadn't returned yet.

"My thoughts exactly," said Axel, exiting a dark portal, "If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"

"Who are you?" asked Kairi.

"Name's Axel," said Axel, "I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora's. Why don't we go see him?"

"Sora?" wondered Kairi, her heartbeat starting to speed up at the thought of meeting him again.

A bark snapped her out of it as Pluto rushed in to meet her.

'Pluto?' thought Kairi, remembering him from when she was with Sora on his first journey.

(AN10)

Nobody dusks showed up, courtesy of Axel. Mickey whistled while Riku opened a portal onto the island. Pluto urged her to come with him.

"We've got something in common, Kairi," said Axel, "We've both lost people we cared about. I feel like we're friends already."

"Well," said Kairi, "You need to work on your manners, because you're not acting very friendly right now."

Kairi rushed after Pluto through the portal.

* * *

(Realm of Nothing)

(AN11)

Kairi looked around, seeing nothing but Nobody symbols everywhere and one red portal. Pluto went through it. Kairi approached it, but didn't go through. She turned around to see someone in a black-hooded robe. Before she could say anything, Riku closed the portal around her, sending her to Twilight Town where she was found by Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

(Chapter End)

I thought I could add those scenes, since they advance the plot some, and it introduces Kairi back after that one meeting with Roxas, which allowed her to remember Sora's name.

The action will certainly pick up in about two-three chapters, depending on when they get back to Hollow Bastion again. Okay, time for character information.

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind

Drives: Valor, Wisdom

* * *

Name: William Turner

Occupation: Swordsmith

Weapon of Choice: Sword

* * *

Name: Elisabeth Swann

Occupation: Governor's Daughter

(AN: also, future Pirate Lord and King of the Brethren Court)

Weapon of Choice: Diplomacy (Eventually sword as well)

* * *

Name: Captain Jack Sparrow

Occupation: Pirate Lord, Pirate Captain

Weapons of Choice: Sword and Pistol

* * *

Name: Hector Barbossa

Occupation: Pirate Lord, Pirate Captain

Weapons of Choice: Sword and Pistol

* * *

Name: Aladdin

Occupation: Former Street Rat, currently engaged to Princess Jasmine

Weapons of Choice: Thievery and Sword

* * *

Name: Princess Jasmine

Occupation: Princess of Agrabah, Princess of Heart

Weapons of Choice: Light and Diplomacy

* * *

Name: Abu

Occupation: best friend of Aladdin

Weapon of Choice: Thievery

* * *

Name: Genie of the Lamp

Nickname: Genie

Occupation: Free Genie

Weapon of Choice: Magic (AKA: Semi-Phenomenal, Nearly Cosmic Power)

* * *

Name: Takuya

Active Spirits: Fire

Collected Spirits: Earth and Wood

* * *

Okay, I think that's all, except for one last thing.

AN1: If only he battled them in Hollow Bastion, then he could've won easily.

AN2: Well, after battling them for nearly two years, you would think it gets easier battling them, right?

AN3: Well, the wing is connected closest to the shoulder. What do you expect, his foot being in pain from his wing being shot at?

AN4: And yet it still happens in POTC 3. LOL!

AN5: Well, I would add Kanbara, but I'm saving that for later.

AN6: I would think that the curse needs time to take effect. Otherwise, things would really be different in POTC 1.

AN7: NOT RIKU!!! I'm tired of all the yaoi in not only this series, but everywhere else as well!! It's Kairi, it will always be Kairi and it will never be anyone BUT Kairi. (At least here)

AN8: Same thing can be applied here. Takuya is actually thinking of Zoey. Considering how many female members are on the team, I would say she's the first Takuya would think off. The next would probably be Tommy, considering how much of a younger brother he can be to Takuya.

AN9: Don't hold me to this, because I wouldn't know. If you know better, then keep it to yourself, or at least try to be nice about it if you're gonna tell me I'm wrong.

AN10: Well, considering Kairi's Heart was with Sora throughout his adventure, I would say that she would have some inkling of who Pluto is.

AN11: Don't know the name of this world, only that it exists in a place between The World That Never Was and Digital Twilight Town.

See ya in the reviews, if anyone actually takes the time to review…

Later,

RDF1


	5. Holidays, Animal Kingdom, and Limit Form

Okay, time for chapter 5 of Digital Kingdom Hearts.

RDF1: Yeah, not so enthusiastic about the first world, mainly because I never saw the movie(s), and not really a fan of Jack Skellington, the 'Pumpkin King'.

Dx: Look at it this way: at least you only have to do it twice, not more.

RDF1: That is one bit of good news. I know everyone has his or her least favorite world in the Kingdom Hearts Universe, and this one happens to be mine.

Let's get it over with, so we can move onto the other world that's in this chapter, and happens to be a good one in my opinion.

Also, any world that has Sora and the others change forms, Takuya becomes Flamon for those world and can't revert until they leave.

Shout out: Thank you OathkeeperRoxasXNamine09 for reviewing. You are the first person who has reviewed this story and I thank you for it.

Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter for original Disclaimer on this fic.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_Minutes later, Abu came running in with a valuable egg that he had swiped at the Cave of Wonders, with Aladdin on his tail._

"_Isn't this how we first came in?" asked Takuya, getting nods from his companions._

_Luckily enough, the Jewel glowed, giving Sora the prompt to open up the next pathway to the next world._

"_Looks like it's time to say goodbye," said Sora._

"_Make sure to come back and visit," said Jasmine._

"_We will," said Sora, "I promise."_

"_Before you go," said Genie, bringing out the Lamp Charm and giving it to Sora, "Take this, in case you might need some Semi-Phenomenal, Nearly Cosmic Powers to help out."_

"_Thanks, Genie," said Sora._

"_See ya later," said Takuya._

_And with that, the group of four left Agrabah for the next world._

(Recap End)

(Halloween Town)

When they landed in the next world, Takuya was already in his Flamon form. Goofy looked like Frankenstein while Donald's appearance was more like a Mummy. Sora himself looked like a vampire, with a pumpkin on the right side of his forehead.

"Hey," said Sora, taking in the scenery, "Isn't this Halloween Town?"

"It does look like it," said Donald, before noticing something off in the distance.

A ghost dog floated down among them.

"Hey," said Sora, recognizing it, "It's Zero. How've you been, boy?"

Zero headed on into town and the four of them followed. Once they got into town, they didn't see anyone or anything, except for a giant ramp with a guillotine on the end of it.

"What's that for?" asked Sora, before they heard a sound.

"It's Jack!" said Donald, recognizing their friend.

Jack Skellington flew in on a sleigh of all things, with skeletal reindeer and all. Jack landed his sleigh on the ramp.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!!" greeted Jack Skellington, "Welcome back! And Merry Christmas!"

"This guy is supposed to be who now?" asked Flamon.

"Merry Christmas??" asked Sora, "Don't you mean 'Happy Halloween!'"

"Of course," replied Jack, "Happy Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King! Forgive me, I'm in a Christmas Mood."

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Flamon, "Considering how close it is to Christmas."

(AN1)

"You see, I'm leading the festivities again this year, and I need Sandy Claws blessing," continued Jack, "So, I'm off to Christmas Town."

"'Sandy Claws?'" asked Sora.

"I think he means Santa Claus," said Goofy.

"I don't know," said Flamon, "Maybe in this world, Santa Claus is actually called Sandy Claws."

"Nah," said Sora, "Couldn't be."

"Are the decorations just splendid?" asked Jack, referring to the 'remodeling' that had been down over the last month or so, "This year, Halloween Town's handling Christmas too! Sort of a shared Holiday thing, so no one holiday shows more importance than the others. But first, we have to visit Sally. She's working on something no self-respecting Santa Claus can do without. Come along, I'll show you."

(AN2)

"A Halloween Town Christmas?" wondered Sora, as all four of them looked around at all the Halloween style Christmas that was being displayed, "Wanna check it out?"

"Why not?" replied Flamon, chuckling a bit, "Might be the one Christmas where no one wants to go to sleep to wait for Santa."

(AN3)

So, Jack led the way to his house, where his friends Sally and Doctor Finklestein. There, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were bringing in another piece of metal for the Doctor's latest experiment.

"Hello Doctor!" greeted Jack, "Where's Sally?"

"Can't you see," replied the Doctor, getting angry, "That I'm working on an experiment."

Sally walked in just as Lock, Shock, and Barrel tossed the piece onto the table, causing it to spark and blow up. They giggled and ran off, leaving Doctor Finklestein to yell about another experiment ruined.

"Sally, did you finish it?" asked Jack, "I want to show my good friends, and their new friend.

"Takuya," said Flamon.

"Nice to meet you," said Sally, before turning back to Jack, "I'm sorry, but I'm not done just yet."

"It's okay," said Jack, "Just as long as it's ready for Christmas."

"But Jack," said Sally, but Jack had already left through the door.

"Well, I got to go meet Sandy Claws," said Jack before he left, "Goodbye for now."

"Thanks for visiting," said the Doctor, wondering how he can recover his experiment.

"Go meet Santa Claus," said Sora, as if mulling over some thoughts.

"Please Sora," pleaded Sally, "I'm afraid something's going to go wrong if Jack keeps this up."

"You can say that again," said Donald.

"But you gotta admit," said Flamon, "He's not one for selfish behavior. He may want to be Santa, but I'm sure it's with good reason."

"Sora?" asked Goofy.

However, Sora just stood there with a strange smile on his face.

"Yo!" said Flamon, waving his hand in front of Sora, "Any Keyblade bearers home?"

"Hey," said Jack, suddenly returning, "Are those strange characters in the town square with you?"

"Depends on who the characters are," replied Flamon, thinking of a few people that may have stopped in.

"You know, the ones that wanted to spoil Halloween AND Christmas! What are they called again?"

"Heartless!" said Donald.

"That's right. Heartless!" replied Jack.

"Wouldn't know a Heartless I've been friends with," said Flamon.

"But we can get rid of them for you," said Sora, "Then we can meet Santa!!"

"Let's go," said Flamon, keeping his eagerness for a battle to a minimum. One eager beaver was enough for the group.

"Sora…" said Donald, tapping his bandaged foot.

"Of course the Heartless come first," said Sora quickly, trying to recover his dignity.

When they got outside, they saw Heartless they hadn't seen before, along with the Mayor of Halloween Town trying to get them to leave, but with no success.

"I'm just an elected official," said the mayor, "Jack, please help!!"

So, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Flamon, and Jack Skellington started battling the Heartless, Jack using his fiery pumpkin powers to help out. After the Heartless were taken down, Jack sighed at the return of the Heartless.

"How's Sandy Claws supposed to relax with these guys running about?" wondered Jack, before coming up with an idea, "That's it! Sandy Claws could use bodyguards. Think you're up for it?"

"Us?" questioned Donald.

"Sure!" answered Sora.

"Why not?" quipped Flamon.

"Okay, bodyguards," said Jack, "Christmas Town is this way, just past the Graveyard and into the forest."

When they got to the graveyard, more Heartless appearing, forcing the five of them to battle their way through the graveyard just to get to the forest, by the time they reached the door, they were exhausted from fighting.

"Here it is," said Jack, "The door to Christmas Town. The spooks of Halloween can get so tiresome year after year. I decided it was time for a change of pace. That's when I found this!"

Sora looked closely at the 'door' wondering if Jack was telling the truth or not; however, Sora was getting more excited as Jack spoke.

"Beyond this door is a world filled with wonders the likes of which you've never seen," continued Jack, "At first I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything was so fresh and exciting!!"

"C'mon!!" said Sora, his patience wearing thin, "Just open it!"

So, Jack opened up the Tree-like door and Sora jumped in first. Donald and Goofy were hesitant, but Flamon pushed them in before jumping in. Jack followed, closing the door behind him.

* * *

(Christmas Town)

Sora fell out, with Donald and Goofy falling on top of him. Nearly everyone's outfit had changed; Sora with a black version of Santa's uniform, Donald into a Snow Duck, and Goofy into a reindeer. Flamon got up shivering, a snotcicle hanging from his nose.

(AN4)

"Next time," said Flamon, his teeth chattering, "Remind me to stay on the Gummy Ship, where it's warm."

"Can't you keep warm on your own, 'firemon'?" teased Sora.

"Yeah, yeah," said Flamon, heating himself up with a bit of his power.

"So," said Donald, "Where's Santa?"

"In his workshop," said Jack, not affected by the cold, "Let's go!"

As they got to the town, more Heartless showed up. Everyone got ready to fight again.

"Here too?" said Sora, feeling like his joy had been violated, which it had.

DIGIVOLUTION!!

"Flamon Digivolve to…" said Flamon, "Agunimon!"

So, the five battlers began batting, fighting fiercely to protect the town.

"Christmas is in big trouble," said Donald.

"We can't let anything bad happen to Christmas," added Goofy.

"We're not," said Flamon, having Dedigivolve after the fight was over, "Christmas means more to the worlds than any other holiday. We won't let this world be ruined because a few Heartless."

"Right," said Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"That's where Sandy Claws lives," said Jack, pointing at the workshop.

When they got inside, they saw Santa perusing THE list, like he does every year. Santa noticed them as they entered.

"Well, hello everyone," said Santa, "Did you come to see if you're on my nice list?"

"Sora," said Sora.

"Let's see," said Santa, looking down THE list, "Here you are."

Santa made a sound that Sora didn't like, as if Santa was disappointed.

"According to THE list, Sora," said Santa, "Seven years ago, you told everyone that you did NOT believe in Santa Claus. That IS unfortunate."

"Ahhh…" sighed Sora, instantly blaming _SOMEONE_ for making him say that without totally meaning it.

"What about us? Name's Donald," said Donald.

"Goofy," followed up Goofy.

Santa looked down THE list, and gave a nod of approval.

"Takuya," said Flamon.

When Santa looked down the list, he saw not only one Takuya, but instead many.

"Looks like I've got about 15 Takuya's on this list," said Santa, "You're gonna need to be more specific."

(AN5)

'Why me?' groaned Flamon inwardly, before speaking up, "Takuya Kanbara."

"Kanbara?" asked Donald.

"I'll tell you later," said Flamon.

"Ah, here we go," said Santa, finding the right Takuya, "Looks like you haven't been totally forward with it, but you know that it's better to give, than to receive."

Flamon showed a small smile of appreciation towards Santa for that.

"Make sure to tell your friends, when you see them," continued Santa, "To tell them 'Merry Christmas' for me, will you?"

"What about me?" asked Jack, "It's me, Jack."

"Jack Skellington," said Santa, before hearing a noise in the other room, "What have you done this time?"

They went to check it out, only to hear voices upstairs.

"Maleficent!!" shouted Flamon, noticing the green flame of her departure.

The kids, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, left out a window they broke and headed back to Halloween Town.

"I want them back," said Santa, "Those naughty kids need a good lecture.

"We'll get them," said Sora.

"But wait," said Jack, "I wanted to talk to you about Christmas."

"Not right now," said Santa, "I need to make sure we're not behind schedule. We'll talk later."

"I'll stay here," said Flamon, "If Maleficent is behind this, then I'll need to be here in case she comes back."

"Are you sure you can handle her?" asked Sora.

"I'll be able to hold her off," replied Flamon, not telling the full truth.

As they headed outside, they found footprints leading back to Halloween Town. They hurried along, taking out more Heartless along the way until they got to the Tree with a Pumpkin on it, the doorway back to Halloween Town. They headed through it.

* * *

(Halloween Town)

When they got to Halloween Town, the trail led on to a hill with a very swirled tip. They found the three kids there with a large Heartless, but no Maleficent in sight.

"Let's hope Takuya's doing better than we are," said Sora, as they four of them got ready to fight.

* * *

(Christmas Town)

Maleficent returned with Oogie Boogie.

"Looks like your doing alright before being destroyed," taunted Agunimon.

"As long as the fire can breathe, it can always come back," replied Maleficent, summoning her power to blast Agunimon.

Agunimon responded with a Pyro Punch. The ensuing collision covered smoke everywhere, giving time for Oogie to knockout Agunimon from behind. Once knocked out, Maleficent summoned dark chains around him, preventing him from escaping.

* * *

(Halloween Town)

After defeating the Heartless, the trio ran off.

"I hope Mr. Oogie's ready by now," said Lock as they got away.

"Oogie?!" exclaimed Jack in fear.

"Didn't he try to take over Halloween Town before?" asked Sora.

"That's right," said Jack, "Looks like trouble's heating up."

"I just hope Takuya can stand the heat," said Sora.

The four of them hightailed it back to Christmas Town, hoping to find their friends in good standings. When they got to the graveyard, Sally came running from the forest.

"What's wrong Sally?" asked Jack.

"Jack! Santa Claus was coming here to tell you that Takuya has been captured by Maleficent when he got captured by Oogie himself!" said Sally.

"WHAT!?" said Sora, "It's bad enough to go after Santa, but why Takuya?"

"Maybe he poses a threat to Maleficent?" pondered Goofy.

"No time to worry about that right now," said Jack, "Let's make sure their safe."

So, the four of them continued on their way back to Christmas Town.

* * *

(Christmas Town)

When they got to Christmas Town, Flamon was hanging the middle of the square, like a big Digimon Christmas ornament. After fighting off the Heartless that were guarding him, Sora used his Keyblade to set him free.

"We gotta get to Santa," said Flamon, "I saw a sack of worthless thread take him inside."

"That'd be Oogie Boogie," said Sora, as they headed inside."

"The Oogie Boogie Man?" wondered Flamon.

"At least this world's version of him," replied Sora.

They headed inside, only to find Oogie waiting for them.

"Ya know," said Flamon, Digivolving on the spot to Agunimon, "That wasn't very nice what you did. So, I'm gonna have to repay that naughty act by giving you coal!!"

"Oh please," said Oogie, "Like your ridiculous little flame can harm me."

Agunimon just chuckled, slightly evil as well.

"You think," said Agunimon, still chuckling, "That my flame has nothing over you?? Who do you think you are?? Maleficent??"

Agunimon's laughter stopped while he changed into BurningGreymon. He resumed laughing after that.

"Takuya?" said Sora, starting to fear his friend's response to a lame insult.

"I'm gonna show you what real flame is," said BurningGreymon, all laughter having faded from him, "WILDFIRE TSUNAMI!!!"

A HUGH burst of flame flew towards Oogie faster than Oogie could even blink. He was caught on fire and before he knew it, he was burnt all over when the flames died down at BurningGreymon's command.

"You can take over, Sora," said Flamon, having reverting on purpose and walked over to Santa Claus to free him.

"Right," said Sora, getting himself together.

A quick slash of the Keyblade later left Oogie Boogie loosing his stuffing in ribbons while some of himself caught fire again at the sparks from the slash of the Keyblade. All that was left of Oogie this time was ash after the fire consumed the stuffing inside of Oogie.

* * *

Everyone reconvened outside the workshop.

"Looks like Christmas is safe again," said Sora.

"And I guess it's time for us to be heading out again," said Flamon.

"Yeah," said Sora, "But we haven't opened the pathway yet."

"Right," said Flamon, rolling his eyes.

"Perfect," said Jack, "I better get down to business."

"Leave that to Santa," said Donald.

"Yeah," agreed Goofy, "You better stick with Halloween. You're good at that while Santa's good at Christmas."

"Jack," said Sally, coming out of the workshop, carrying something, "Here. It's done."

Sally handed over to Jack his very own Santa outfit, heavy modifications done to match Jack's size.

"Wonderful," said Jack, enthusiastically, "Why I love it already! Thank you, Sally."

"Jack," pleaded Sally, "Do you really have to do this??"

"But I make a splendid Sandy Claws," said Jack, getting the outfit on.

"Listen, Jack Skellington," said Santa, joining them, "You saved me, and Christmas as well; and for that, I'm thankful. But please promise that you'll stay out of trouble."

"Don't know if I will, so I can't make that promise," said Jack.

"I guess so," agreed Santa, "Now, about that suit: don't do this again, please. This is just a one-time deal."

"I just thought you could use a little help this year, Mr. Claus," said Jack, "Since you're so overworked as it is."

"Yes," agreed Santa, "Being Santa Claus can be tiring; however, seeing the looks on the children's faces when they open their presents make it all worth it, each and every year."

Santa went inside and returned with a box.

"Speaking of presents," continued Santa, "This came for you, Takuya, from the Santa in your world."

"Santa in MY world??" asked Takuya.

"You didn't think I did all the worlds, did you??" replied Santa, "Each world has their own Santa, and we all work together to make sure every world has their presents delivered on time."

"Thank you, Santa," said Takuya, to both Santas, opening his present and revealed the two spirits of Ice, "Kind of apropos, wouldn't you say?"

The Spirits were collected in his D-Tector. As Jack and Sally headed back towards Halloween Town, his suit glowed. Sora took out his Keyblade and opened the path to the next world.

(AN6)

"I guess it's time now," said Sora.

"Before you do," said Santa, "Be sure to give Riku mine and the Destiny Islands Santa Claus's best wishes."

"Sure will," said Sora, giving Santa a thumbs up.

* * *

(Pride Lands)

When Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya landed in the next world, they were in different forms. Sora was a lion cub, Donald a more animalistic duck, and Goofy was a tortoise. Takuya was back in his Flamon form.

"Hey," said Sora, "Check us out."

"Hay is for horses, Sora," said Flamon, "Not lion cubs."

"Very funny," said Sora.

Before they knew it, however, Hyenas, led by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, surrounded them.

"Heartless?" asked Sora.

"Decidedly not," said Flamon, "Hyenas."

"They probably live here," added Goofy.

"Don't mind us," said Donald, trying to sound innocent, "Just passing through. We won't be any trouble."

"Oh, I hope that's true," said Shenzi, "Because it'd be great if you stuck around for lunch."

"We didn't bring anything to eat," said Sora.

"We brought ourselves," said Flamon, slapping himself in the head.

"He's right, you know," said Banzai.

"HAHAHAHAAHAHHAH!" added Ed.

'Wow, and here I thought he would be the smartest of them all,' thought Flamon sarcastically, 'Then again, you never know with the silent ones.'

Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to run for it, while Flamon used his tail to keep the other Hyenas at bay. Just before Banzai could take a bite out of Sora, a lion's roar was heard in the distance.

"Scar's got the worst timing," complained Banzai.

"Just let him roar," replied Shenzi.

"Better go see what he wants," said Banzai, signaling to the others to leave the prey alone.

After the Hyenas left, Flamon helped Sora up on his four paws.

"I don't know what that was about," said Sora, sighing in relief, "But I'm glad it's over."

"Something tells me we haven't seen the last of them," replied Flamon.

"I didn't know how hard it was on four legs," said Sora.

"I found a trick to it," said Goofy.

So, while Goofy helped Sora get accumulated to walking on all fours, Flamon took a look around the area, not liking what he saw.

"I think it'd be better if we got out of here," said Flamon.

So, they left the area, only to find a lioness being chased by unusual looking beasts.

"Now, THOSE are Heartless," said Sora, summoning the Kingdom Key in his teeth.

After a quick battle, the Heartless were destroyed, but they were harder to defeat because of the difficulties working in such an awkward body for Sora.

"Thank you," said Nala, the lioness, "I would've been a goner if it wasn't for you."

"We're just glad you're alright," replied Goofy.

"Are there anymore Heartless around??" asked Sora.

"Is that what they are??" asked Nala, "I don't know. I usually stay in the Pride Lands to hunt."

"Closer to home," said Flamon, "Sounds reasonable."

"But there's nothing left to hunt inside the Pride Lands," said Nala, "Scar and the Hyenas have driven the herds away. We're about to starve."

"Let's see what's up," said Flamon.

So, Nala went ahead to Pride Rock. Sora and the others took a longer route, taking out Heartless along the way. After about ten minutes of travel, they reached their destination. When they got there, Nala walked up to greet them with Rafiki, a monkey who was a great friend of Mufasa, the king before Scar.

"That's him," said Nala, nodding towards Sora.

Rafiki got close to Sora, examining him thoroughly with his eyes, and his wisdom. He returned to Nala and whispered something in her ear before moving on.

"Sorry," said Nala, "Looks like I was wrong."

"It's okay," said Goofy, "We'd still like to try and help if we can."

"That's the thing," explained Nala, "Whoever defeats Scar must take his place as the next King. And he needs certain qualities."

"Being home grown would provide some advantage," said Flamon.

"You better leave before Scar finds you," warned Nala, returning to her family and friends.

But, before they could leave, Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed were blocking their way, with more Hyenas behind them.

"I see you want round two," said Flamon.

"What was that?" said Shenzi, sounding offended, "Watch your mouth, freak!"

(AN7)

"At least I'm not a beck and call girl for Scar," countered Flamon.

"I'm NO ONE'S beck and call girl!!" shouted Shenzi.

A roar from Scar took the fight right out of her. Flamon smirked a bit as everyone turned to see two lions on the hill of Pride Rock, Scar and a very hefty lion-sized Pete.

"It's Pete!" said Sora in recognition.

Scar jumped down and approached them, while Pete tumbled down the cliff in a sad fashion.

"What are you doing here!" demanded Sora.

"To think a kid like you is worried about me," said Pete, "You should really worry about yourself, kid."

"He's right," said Scar, "Ladies. Time to do some hunting!"

"Are you kidding?" said Nala, "What is there to hunt!"

"You don't see four edible prey right here!" said Scar.

"We don't hunt other Lions, especially not cubs!!" said Nala, charging at Scar before he could kill Sora.

"Nala!" shouted Sora in worry.

"RUN!" shouted back Nala.

Flamon took advantage of the confusion to knock the Hyenas out of the way, so they could make their escape. Nala followed, for she knew she would be banished or killed if she stayed. They stopped in the Savannah for a few moments.

"I'm sorry about that," said Nala, "I thought you could help."

"Maybe we can," said Flamon, "Isn't there someone that can take on Scar and become King?"

"There was, a long time ago," said Nala, remembering her old friend, "But he died along with his father, Mufasa. Oh, I wish Simba was here."

"Simba!?" said Sora, "He's doing just fine."

"Simba's alive!?" asked Nala, "But where is he?"

"Simba helped them out last year, but I think we need to leave the Pride Lands if we're gonna have a chance to find Simba," said Flamon, "If Scar knew he was alive, he wouldn't stop hunting him until he was dead."

"We need to get out of here ourselves," said Nala, "Let's head through Wildebeest Valley. They wouldn't dare follow us there.

When they got there, they saw a HUGE crevice in the rock between them and their destination. Nala stepped back and little and managed to jump over the crevice with a little speed and power.

"What's wrong?" asked Nala, when they didn't follow.

"We're not going to make it!" replied Sora.

"Speak for yourself," said Flamon.

"Guess Rafiki was right," said Nala quietly, though Flamon managed to hear her.

"What was that?" shouted Sora, not catching what Nala said.

"Don't worry about it," said Nala, "It's not that difficult. I'll show you!"

Nala jumped back over to show how Lions jump over gaps while Donald just flew over. Flamon grabbed onto Goofy and scaled the side of the cliff to their right to make it over. After being shown how it was done, Sora managed to make it over without to many problems.

"Wow, I actually did it," said Sora.

"That you did," said Nala, "Let's keep moving."

As they moved through the valley, Nala was telling them about what happened years ago. Rafiki managed to catch up with them as they walked through the valley.

"Hey, monkey dude," said Flamon, "What's up?"

"It is time!" exclaimed Rafiki in a joyous voice.

"Simba!" said Nala, excited to see her old friend again.

They continued on their path, taking out Heartless along the way, until they came to an Oasis in the middle of the desert.

"Wow," said Flamon, "Looks like this place is thriving. Very different from the other parts of this desert."

"Hey!" said Nala, "That's my home your talking about!"

"I'm sure it'll regain its beauty when the balance is restored," said Flamon quickly, as to appease Nala somewhat.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Flamon headed on in, while Nala crept away, finding the scent of fresh prey. When the got inside, they saw Simba confronting Heartless by a waterfall. A loud roar from Simba send them running, scared. Simba then noticed the group of four, and prepared to attack, thinking they were more enemies.

"Wait Simba!" said Sora, "It's me, Sora! Donald and Goofy are here too!"

Simba pounced on Sora before seeing Sora's face close up, and remembered them in human form. Upon recognizing them, he got off of Sora after nuzzling his old friend.

"What happened to you?" asked Simba, "And who's this?"

"Comes with the territory," said Flamon, "Name's Takuya."

Before they could catch up any further, a scream from the trees got Simba's attention.

"Timon! Pumba!" said Simba, worried for his friends.

Simba raced off towards the source of the noise with the others behind him, after finding a few pages of Pooh's Storybook hidden in a bush. When they got there, Timon, a meerkat, and Pumba, a warthog, were cowering from a Lioness, Nala. Simon blocked Nala from attacking Timon and Pumba. Simba and Nala began fighting like no one's business, only when Nala pinned him like she did when they were kids did Simba finally recognize her.

"Nala?" asked Simba, wondering if it were true.

Nala backed off, wondering whom it was that knew her name.

"It's me, Simba," said Simba.

"Simba?" asked Nala, before recognizing him as her long lost friend, "SIMBA!"

"Hey!" asked Timon, "What's going on here?"

"Those two are old friends," said Flamon, making the two of them turned around, "And so are these three."

"But what about you?" asked Timon, pressing the issue.

"If I had a reason to attack you, don't you think I would've done it already."

"You have a point," said Timon, "But I have a warthog and I'm not afraid to use him."

Timon jumped on Pumba's back and pointed his tail at Flamon like a rifle. Flamon backed off a little, knowing what warthog stink would do to him.

(AN8)

"Could you guys excuse us for a moment?" asked Simba.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Timon sarcastically, getting off of Pumba.

So, while Simba and Nala were off talking, Timon and Pumba showed Sora, Donald, and Goofy about Hakuna Matata. Flamon noticed Rafiki and went over to him.

"So, what happens now?" asked Flamon.

"If the King doesn't take his rightful place in the Circle of Life, then the balance may never recover," informed Rafiki.

"Go," said Flamon, "If Simba can't do it on his own, then maybe his father can talk some sense into him. I know you know a way to communicate with him. That's how you knew where we were."

"You know more than you let on," said Rafiki, "Yes, I can contact Mufasa, but it will be up to Simba to make that choice when the time comes."

"I'll see ya," said Flamon, "And for the record, Mufasa couldn't have had a better wise monkey."

"Thank you," replied Rafiki, as he headed to a place of Spiritual connection.

* * *

That night, Simba was looking up at the sky, remembering what his father, Mufasa, told him about the great kings of the past looking down on them.

(Flashback)

"_Look at the stars, Simba," said Mufasa, "The great kings of the past are looking down on us from those stars. So, whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you, and so will I!"_

(Flashback End)

"Father, are you there?" asked Simba out of desperation for some advice and council.

Soon, the sky opened a portal, and a ghostly image of King Mufasa walked forward.

"Remember that I am always here, so that I can help you, Simba," said Mufasa, "You have forgotten who you are, deep inside. You must return to take your place in the Circle of Life."

"How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be!" replied Simba.

"You must remember," said Mufasa, "And who you are deep inside will never change, as long as you never allow it to change you."

Before Mufasa left, a small sphere left his image, and floated down the morning sun, blocking it from view for the moment. Simba sighed, as he took in his father's words. He knew what must be done, even if he didn't want to, he had to: for the sake of the Circle of Life. He turned his head to the side.

"You can all come out now," said Simba.

"How'd you know we were here?" asked Sora.

"A hunter you are not," said Simba, turning to them, "It's time I returned to face my past. I could use some help."

"So, you really are a king?" asked Timon.

As the morning light shown behind Simba, the sphere from before absorbed the sunlight and turned into the Circle of Life Keyblade, which Sora decided to use while in cub form. As they made their way back, Sora and Simba unleashed a Limit Breaker upon the Heartless that got too close. When they got to the Savannah, Timon took one look around the place and said:

"You're gonna fight your uncle for this??" asked Timon.

"More than just this, Timon," said Simba, "For the whole Circle of Life that lived here once. I must do this in order to restore balance to these lands."

"You won't be alone," said Nala, walking up beside him.

"Yeah," said Sora, "We won't let you do this alone."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Pride Rock, Scar was looking around, a growing fear welling up inside of him. He looked up, and saw another Male Lion. His fears were confirmed.

'Mufasa!?' thought Scar, before realizing who it really was, 'No, it's Simba! But those three bumbling Hyenas told me he was dead. I should never have trusted them with that assignment.'

"Simba," said Scar, as Simba jumped down to his level, "You're… alive!?"

"It's over Scar!" said Simba, "I won't let you ruin the Circle of Life any longer!"

"Simba's the rightful King," said Nala, "not you!"

"The choice is yours Scar," said Simba, "Accept the challenge of one-on-one combat for the throne, or stand down and be banished!"

"Must it always resort to violence," said Scar, trying to sound innocent, "I wouldn't want to kill a family member."

"That's in the past," said Simba, "I've moved on!"

"Can you say the same about your friends and subjects?" asked Scar.

"What's going on, Simba?" wondered Nala.

"Why don't you tell them who was responsible for Mufasa's death!" continued Scar, smug in his lies.

"Really," said Flamon, "don't tell me you're trying to pin the blame on Simba!?"

"But he's right," said Simba, looking down, "It was my fault."

"Why not tell what happened?" said Flamon, "You might find some unanswered questions."

"I was playing in the gorge, when a stampede of Wildebeests charged through there. My father tried to rescue me, but died trying," explained Simba.

"Did you see him trying to get out?" asked Flamon.

"Yes," said Simba, "He was climbing out. I moved to another spot to see him, but the next time I saw him, he was falling back into the stampede."

"Interesting," said Flamon, "Then that leaves a few questions."

"Like what," said Scar, impatient with this visitor.

"Well, for one thing: Who started the stampede? There not many things that would send Wildebeests stampeding. One thing I do know is that Hyenas are a predator to them. And who controls the Hyenas??"

"Scar!" said Simba, "You killed my father!?"

"Of course!!" said Scar, the truth of it now out, "Your grandfather chose him as successor over me. I swore vengeance. What's worse is that he went and had you! So, I had to get rid of both of you, otherwise I would have never ruled. Luckily, I was able to entice the Hyenas with a ploy for power, and good hunting grounds that the Pride Lands could provide. It seemed like a win-win. Until you showed up!"

"It's over, Scar," said Sora, "You're finished!"

"You see," said Scar, "Like you, I too have followers. GET 'EM!!!"

The Hyenas charged into battle, some of them distracting Simba so Scar could escape. Sora, Donald, and Goofy got them off of Simba.

"Go," said Sora, "We'll handle the Hyenas."

And soon, the battle for Pride Rock began, Flamon and the Lionesses taking out the Hyenas with help from Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Timon and Pumba. However, the Hyenas were so great in numbers that they began to overwhelm them. Timon ran inside the den and joined Zazu, one of Mufasa's advisors, in the bone cage. Flamon chased after the Hyenas that went inside.

"So, Shenzi," said Flamon, "You ready for a some well done meat!"

"First you hit me, then insult me, and now flirt with me!?" said Shenzi, "That is it, I'm gonna kill you myself, you PIG!!!!!"

"HEY!" said Pumba, at the entrance, "Are you talking to me?"

"Oh great," said Timon, "Now you've done it."

"Are you talking to me!?"

"You shouldn't have said 'Pig' in his presence!"

"ARE YOU TALKING TO ME!?"

"You're in for it now!"

"**THEY CALL ME!!**" shouted Pumba in outrage, "'_**MR. PIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_'"

Pumba then charged at the three Hyenas while Flamon jumped onto the ceiling out of the way. Soon after the Hyenas were chased out, followed by Timon, Zazu, and 'Mr. Pig', Sora, Donald, and Goofy charged in, wondering what happened.

"Simba's on up," said Flamon, dropping from the ceiling, "Let's go!"

(AN9)

* * *

When they reached the top, Donald wanted to help him, but Sora stopped him.

"Remember," said Sora, "We can't interfere."

"He's right, Donald," said Goofy, "We can't meddle in the affairs of other worlds."

The four of them could only watch as Simba and Scar battled it out like to starving lions over a small slice of meat, desperate to survive. In the end, Simba managed to defeat Scar by sending him over the edge.

"Good work," said Sora, "Everything okay?"

"Nothing broken, if that's what you mean," replied Simba, stretching out his sore muscles from his fight.

"Something tells me this isn't over," said Flamon, "That was too easy."

"Of course it was," said Pete, finally showing up again, "That was just a preview. The King of Pride Rock, angry and jealous of his brother and nephew, gave into darkness and became a Heartless."

Sure enough, darkness covered the sky as Scar climbed his way up the cliff, darkness glowing around him.

"Thanks," said Flamon, "You just made it our business!"

"We'll handle this one together, Simba," said Sora, bringing out the Circle of Life Keyblade.

"Hey Pete!" said Flamon, jumping up.

"Hey!" shouted Pete, trying to move away, "Stay away from me!"

With a precise kick to the face, Flamon sent Pete flying away, but disappeared before Flamon could see him hit the ground.

"Alright," said Flamon, "Time to Digivolve!!"

But, when he tried to Digivolve, he received a shock that made him fall to one knee.

"You mean you didn't know??" said the Heartless Scar.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sora.

"Only Beasts can roam this realm. So anything human-like is out of the question," explained Scar.

"That explains why you guys changed," said Simba.

Scar used the distraction to knock Flamon off the Cliff. Sora and the others could only watch as Flamon fell, before turning their sights on Scar. Unleashing a Limit Breaker, they defeated Scar without Scar knowing what hit him. He tried to get up, but only fell down, the last of this life leaving him.

* * *

Flamon fell down the side of Pride Rock.

'Darn it!' thought Flamon, 'If only I could go BurningGreymon, but I can only do that by Beast Spirit Evolution, or Slide Evolution.'

Just before he hit the ground, his wits returned to him and he used his tail like a whip to grab a rock that was jutting out from the rock formation to change his momentum at the last second, sending him tumbling across the rock surface. Rafiki noticed and moved over to help him up.

"Not the smartest move I've seen you make," said Rafiki.

"Not my move," said Flamon, painfully getting up with Rafiki's help, "Scar's."

"It's over now," said Rafiki, pointing at Simba who was reaching the crown of Pride Rock.

Once he got there, he smiled at the sunrise, before giving out a triumphant roar. The other Lionesses followed, even Sora couldn't help but give a roar, though it was far softer and less intimidating than he wanted.

"Uh, don't tell Takuya about that," said Sora, embarrassed at such a weak roar.

"Tell me what, oh young cub," said Flamon, who limped his way over with Rafiki.

"Put a coconut in it," said Sora, looking away from Flamon with an embarrassed blush still on his face.

A portal appeared, and Mufasa shone with the sunrise behind him, making him glow even more.

"Well done," said Mufasa, "King of Pride Rock."

"Thank you, Father," said Simba, though quietly so no one could hear him.

The light glowed brighter, allowing Sora to pull out Circle of Life and opened the Pathway given by the Circle of Life.

(AN10)

"Hey," said Timon, "What's with the light show?"

"We gotta go for awhile," said Sora.

"I'll go tell Simba," suggested Pumba.

"Don't worry about it," said Goofy, "Just tell him we'll be back soon."

"Oh yeah," said Timon, "that's right. He's the new king. He's gonna be so busy now trying to get everything back to normal that he won't even remember us."

"Hey," said Sora, "You guys raised him, right? He couldn't forget you if he tried."

"You're right," said Timon, "That means… ROYAL LIFE BABY!!"

"Catch you later," said Flamon.

* * *

(Gummy Ship)

On their way to Twilight Town, Sora asked Takuya about his name.

"On my world," explained Takuya, "We have a first name and a last name. Mickey told me that since there are a lot of worlds out here that only use first names, that I shouldn't use my last name unless it's necessary."

"You could still have told us," said Donald.

"I know," said Takuya, "But I trust Mickey, so I didn't tell even you. I just assumed you wouldn't know about it and be even more wary of me since only Castle Disney had used first and last name basis."

"Hey," said Goofy, "we're coming up on Twilight Town."

"Guess we can check in on Hayner, Pence, and Olette," said Sora.

When they landed, it didn't take long for trouble to make itself known to them. Vivi ran by, shouting for help for Seifer in the Sandlot. They ran over to check it out. When they got there, they saw Seifer's group on the ground, with nobody dusks hovering around them. Takuya helped Seifer's team up and got them out of the way while Sora, Donald, and Goofy battled the Nobodies. More Nobodies appeared, stronger ones as well, inviting Takuya to Spirit Evolve into Agunimon and helped out. Once the battle was over, they heard a voice.

"Impressive," said Saix, stepping out of a Portal of Darkness.

"Saix!" said Agunimon, recognizing his voice.

"Have you seen a man named Axel?" asked Saix.

"Last I saw him was two-to-three weeks ago, before Sora woke up," said Agunimon, "Haven't seen him since. So, can't help you."

"Why are you hunting one of your own?" asked Sora.

"Axel has betrayed the Organization," said Saix, "And therefore he must be punished."

"Sounds like he has some tact after all," said Agunimon, "Anyone who joined up willingly seems to have death wish, starting with your leader!"

"Don't insult us," said Saix, "And be careful, Sora. Axel won't stop until you become a Heartless again."

Saix left via Portal of Darkness.

"Why would he do that?" asked Sora.

"Who knows," lied Takuya, "He's whack, just like most of the Organization."

"Alright, it's about time you left my town," said Seifer, having recovered from his battle with the Nobodies.

"Is that a threat, or a challenge," said Takuya, getting into a battle stance.

"It doesn't concern you, Takuya," said Seifer, bringing out a trophy, "However, your friend can't leave without taking this. It goes to the strongest being in Twilight Town, and that's not me anymore."

Seifer begrudgingly handed over his trophy to Sora, who was able to defeat an enemy he could not. He and his group left after that. Soon enough, Pence came running fast.

"SORA!" said Pence, catching his breath, "Do you know a girl named Kairi?"

"Kairi!?" said Sora, not expecting to hear from her until he got back to the Islands, "I sure do."

"Then you better come to the station," said Pence, turning around and heading to the station.

Looking around, they saw another glowing dark sphere, this time with a single-bladed axe on it.

(AN11)

"Let's get to the station," said Takuya, heading on.

"Alright," said Sora, who wanted to see what the spheres were about.

* * *

When they got to the station, Hayner and Olette were running up as well.

"So, how do you guys know Kairi?" asked Sora.

"She was here," said Olette.

"She was here!?" exclaimed Sora.

"Yeah, and she was looking for you too," said Hayner.

"Tell me where she is!" urged Sora.

"Unfortunately," said Pence, "This dude named Axel showed up and kidnapped her. There was nothing we could do to stop him. Sorry."

"Kairi," said Sora, taking out her good luck charm.

"Sorry we couldn't help out more," said Hayner.

"It's not your fault," said Takuya, "Axel's not easy to battle, let alone win against."

"Yeah, cheer up," said Sora, before realizing what he was saying, "Like I can even say that."

"Sora," said Takuya, "don't worry about Kairi right now. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Yeah right," said Sora, "I've gotta find her!"

Sora's outburst startled Goofy, who held the trophy, causing the four spheres on the top of it to fall off. Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Sora picked up the red, green, yellow, and blue spheres respectively.

"That was close," said Pence, happy that the spheres of glass didn't break.

Sora extended his sphere out to the setting sun, Hayner, Olette, and Pence following his lead. It may have been the trick of the light of the sunset, but Takuya could've sworn he saw Roxas for a second before turning back into Sora.

"Whoa," said Takuya, rubbing his eyes, "No more sunset stares for me."

(AN12)

"Sora," said Goofy, "You okay?"

"Huh," said Sora, coming out of a trance, "What?"

Sora's blue sphere then glowed, allowing Sora to bring out the Kingdom Key and unlock the next pathway.

"Looks like we're heading out," said Sora.

"Wait, before you go," said Hayner, pulling out a picture, "Kairi gave this to us, to give to you in case we saw you before she did."

Hayner handed over a picture of Sora when he was younger, in his older outfit. Sora smiled a bit, glad that Kairi remembered him; however, when he touched it, it glowed for a second before disappearing. At the same time, Sora himself glowed a bit, before a word past his lips.

"Limit," said Sora quietly, as if the word just came to him.

"You unlocked Limit form?" asked Takuya.

"What about it?" asked Sora.

"Let's just say that if you use Limit form, it's like using a self Limit Breaker to access powers you have not known for over a year."

"Really," said Sora, remembering some of the moves he had on his last journey, "Sweet."

Just then, Kairi charm glowed, before turning back into the Oathkeeper Keyblade.

"Oathkeeper," said Sora, remembering the blade, "I thought I lost you."

Sora sent Oathkeeper into Hyperspace, vowing to use it soon.

(AN13)

After saying their goodbyes, the four of them returned to the Gummy Ship.

* * *

Saix appeared in his seat in the meeting room for the Organization. He turned to his leader.

"Sora is still doing well," said Saix.

"Good," said Xemnas, the leader of Organization 13, "With an army of Heartless ready to take Hollow Bastion, it's only a matter of time before Kingdom Hearts is completed."

* * *

"Aw man," sighed Sora, "The King, Riku, and now I've lost Kairi as well."

Takuya walked up beside Sora and whacked him in the back of the head.

(AN14)

"Are you forgetting what happened last time?" asked Takuya, "Kairi was taken once before and you got her back once, right? You can do it again this time too."

"You're right," said Sora, remembering how far he went to save Kairi last time, silently vowing to do so again, "Let's press on. We won't find Kairi moping around here."

"Let's go," said Goofy.

"You said it," agreed Donald.

Soon, Chip and Dale communicated them.

"Guys," said Chip, "Darkness is showing up all over Hallow Bastion."

"You better get over there and see what's up," said Dale.

"Let's check it out," said Sora, getting himself together.

So, they made their way to Hollow Bastion.

(Chapter End)

Well, that took a long time.

Believe or not, I finally got to see Tron the movie, so I have a better idea about the world of Space Paranoids. Yeah, after 20-30 something years of it being out. The movie's good, old school style.

Okay, time for character profiles:

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit

* * *

Name: Jack Skellington

Alias: Pumpkin King

Weapon of choice: Fire and Pumpkins apparently.

* * *

Name: Sally

Other info: apparently love interest with Jack Skellington

* * *

Names: Lock, Shock, and Barrel

Weapon of choice: Mischief

Transportation: Bathtub

(What's that about?)

* * *

Name: Santa Claus

World: Halloween Town (Christmas Town)

Nickname: Sandy Claws by Jack Skellington.

* * *

Name: Simba

Title: Former summoning, Current King of Pride Rock

Weapons of choice: claws and teeth and roars

* * *

Name: Mufasa

Title: Former King of Pride Rock.

Other affiliations: Father of Simba

* * *

Name: Nala

Other info: love interest of Simba

* * *

Name: Rafiki

Title: Wise Monkey (Man) for Mufasa and Simba

Weapons of choice: Staff he carries and martial arts

(An excellent character all around)

* * *

Names: Timon and Pumba

Animal titles: Meerkat and 'Mr. Pig' Warthog

Battle tactics: running away, scaring away enemies with gas emissions by Pumba

Other information: Simba's adopted family, along with Timon's family, who appear in Lion King 1½

* * *

Name: Scar

Titles: Ex-King of Pride Rock, brother to Mufasa, and recent Heartless

* * *

I think that's all, now for Author Notes.

AN1: Well, considering when this is posted, ignore it and just consider it a few weeks before Christmas, or at least after Thanksgiving or something. I don't know. I could never keep up with everything that passes for time in Kingdom Hearts.

AN2: Not really relevant, so just ignore it. It was something I thought of as I was writing it, it doesn't have any real importance.

AN3: Would you want to sleep with Jack Skellington as Santa for Christmas? (LOL)

AN4: Tribute to past Digimon team leaders: Tai and Davis. If they can pull it off, then I do not see why Takuya can't either.

AN5: When I put in THE list, I mean the one for every world, not just Halloween Town. I mean, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are on it, so why would someone from a different world be on it if it only covers one world?

AN6: I decided to remove the mayor. He's pretty dang annoying.

AN7: Wow, didn't expect such references in a T-rated fic. Disney really dials down many things for this game. If you don't know what the references are, then you're not old enough to know.

AN8: I don't want to put that in the next five worlds they visit.

AN9: I couldn't take out that scene. It was so epic in the movie. I applaud the attempt at the boss battle, but please: give Pumba his due righteous fury.

AN10: First one is the sun, second is the Keyblade. Nice to be funny though.

AN11: This is Lexaeus's weapon. Don't know the name of it, but I find him to be a decent Nobody. Don't ask why because I wouldn't have an answer.

AN12: Don't hear anything about sunrises, though, do we?

AN13: Yeah, expect to see it in Final Form, which won't be used until the final world.

AN14: For those who don't have a clue: This is the Gibbslap. When you hit someone in the back of the head. Meant as a wakeup call, not humiliation.

Okay, I think that's everything. In the next part, the best battle against Heartless has arrived, I think.

Later,

RDF1


	6. Can 10 Thousand Heartless be wrong? YES!

Alright guys, time for the rundown of this chapter.

Here's the thing, I haven't be able to work out the Space Paranoids world to have Takuya in it. I know I probably would be able to given enough time, but I have a feeling none of us are that patient, right?

So here's how it's gonna work. The adventures in Space Paranoids remain the same and the scenes I'm gonna show are what Takuya's doing while the others are in Space Paranoids. After that comes the Battle for Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. Depending on how it goes from there, I'll see what's next and if it's good enough, I'll add the next world to this chapter.

(Sorry, no dialogue with OCs today)

Disclaimer: Don't own, see first chapter for more.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

"_Aw man," sighed Sora, "The King, Riku, and now I've lost Kairi as well."_

_Takuya walked up beside Sora and whacked him in the back of the head._

"_Are you forgetting what happened last time?" asked Takuya, "Kairi was taken once before and you got her back once, right? You can do it again this time too."_

"_You're right," said Sora, remembering how far he went to save Kairi last time, silently vowing to do so again, "Let's press on. We won't find Kairi moping around here."_

"_Let's go," said Goofy._

"_You said it," agreed Donald._

_Soon, Chip and Dale communicated them._

"_Guys," said Chip, "Darkness is showing up all over Hallow Bastion."_

"_You better get over there and see what's up," said Dale._

"_Let's check it out," said Sora, getting himself together._

_So, they made their way to Hollow Bastion._

(Recap End)

* * *

When they landed, they immediately noticed some Heartless roaming around, before disappearing in mini portals of Darkness.

"You don't think?" asked Sora.

"There's more Heartless?" finished Goofy, "Looks like it."

Soon Nobody Dusks floated by, as if searching for something.

"Oh great," sighed Takuya, "Nobodies as well. Why not bring all the Organization here as well! It'd save us the time to find them if nothing else."

"We don't we first go check in with everyone," said Sora.

"Let's head to Merlin's place," said Goofy, "They should be there."

So, they made their way through town. They stopped when three of them noticed a familiar figure not far from Uncle Scrooge. It was Cloud, a Hero they had met before.

"It's Cloud," said Sora, surprised to see him.

"It's you guys," said Cloud, trying not to sound disappointed, but it wasn't totally masked, "I thought I'd see you soon or later when Leon said you stopped by a while ago."

"Name's Takuya," said Takuya, "Leon may have mentioned me."

"He did say something about a fire user," said Cloud.

"What are you doing over here?" asked Donald.

"I'll get him," said Cloud, changing subjects, "This time, we settle it. Me and the one who embodies all the Darkness in me."

"I thought you looked different, Cloud," said Donald.

"Don't know why you would want to put away half of yourself," said Takuya.

"Who's the one who embodies your darkness?" asked Sora.

"Sephiroth," replied Cloud, "Tell me if you see him."

"What does he look like?" asked Sora.

"Silver hair, carries a long sword," said Cloud, "Oh, and a black wing extending from his right shoulder."

"Well, be seeing you Cloud," said Sora.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy continued on, but Takuya stayed back, regarding Cloud for a moment.

"What?" asked Cloud, a bit rudely.

"Why do you need to settle things?" asked Takuya, "Why not try to understand him?"

"He tries to make you think Darkness is the only way."

"Not to contradict you or anything, but sometimes Light isn't all that great either," replied Takuya, thinking of one of his friends that he never got along with too well, "I've got this friend who uses Light, but he ain't nice guy, or what you'd call friendly. You could say he's a lone wolf with an attitude that can get to you if you let it."

"What happened?" asked Cloud, now interested.

"We had it out over our latest opponent, a Warrior like us that uses the power of Darkness. Me being my usual self thought that by just working together, we'd be able to defeat Duskmon; however, he retaliates, knowing how powerful Duskmon really is. He then demanded to know why I was with them, in the Digital World in the first place. I didn't understand him then, because I didn't know the reality of the situation. The point I'm trying to make is: Don't just blindly believe that light is always good, because right now, you're reminding me of my friend, and you claim to possess light as well."

"I see," said Cloud, "However, it doesn't change things. I want it to be over between the two of us, one way or another."

Takuya nodded, respecting Cloud's decision, before moving off to meet Sora and the others.

(AN1)

As Takuya made this way through the borough, he saw Sora, Donald, and Takuya heading for the Bailey. By changing into Flamon, he was able to catch up to them, before changing back.

"What's up?" asked Takuya.

"We found a computer that can tell us all about the Organization and the Heartless. It's at the Castle Postern."

"Excuse me," said a voice, "Are you with the restoration committee?"

The four of them turned around to see three tiny female sprites floating a few yards away from them.

(AN2)

"And what if we are?" asked Takuya.

"What's Leon's gang up to?" asked on of them.

"And why would want to know?" asked Takuya, preventing Sora from talking.

"Just curiosity," replied a second one.

"We're heading over to the Postern," said Sora, "Something's up and we were asked to check it out."

"Score!" said Paine.

"Huh?" wondered Sora.

"Let's report," said Rikku.

"To who?" asked Donald.

"Our leader of course," said Yuna.

"You know," finished Paine, "Malefi…"

The other two shut her up before she said too much.

"Maleficent, huh?" said Takuya, "She's not really that great. I mean, these three beat her and they weren't really all that powerful back then from what I heard."

"HEY!" said Sora and Donald, indignantly.

"Go with it," whispered Takuya, before turning back to the others, only to find them gone.

"That was strange," said Sora.

"Let's get going, the Postern's up ahead, right?" said Takuya.

They continued on their way, taking out more Heartless as they moved through the Restoration Site. When they got to the Postern, Sora called out for Leon, though another old friend responded.

"Over here," said Aerith, "Ansem's Computer is just past here. The King seems very interested in it."

"The King!?" said Donald and Goofy.

"It'd be good to see that mouse again," said Takuya, before getting a bop on the head by Donald using his staff.

"Show some respect," demanded Donald.

"Watch it, or I burn that broom of yours," said Takuya, getting a look in his eyes that intimidated Donald.

"What about Riku?" asked Sora.

"I'm sorry," said Aerith, "I haven't seen him."

"It's okay. The King's here and he should know where Riku is."

When they got inside, they heard a noise, but couldn't find the source. The source happened to be a very familiar Blue Alien with four arms and can lift up to 3,000 times its body's mass. The four of them made their way through the corridors, taking out even more Heartless. When they got to the door, they went through it, only to find a messed up room on the other side. One of the things that remained untouched was a portrait of someone familiar to Sora and the others, just not in a good way.

"Ansem," said Sora.

"This must be his room," said Goofy.

"Somebody forgot to pay his cleaning bill," joked Takuya.

"Where's the King?" asked Donald.

"Hello?" called out Sora.

"Hey, you!" responded a voice.

They turned to see a girl in black fighting gear and long dark brown hair.

"And you are?" asked Takuya.

"Name's Tifa," replied the girl, "I'm looking for someone with spiky hair."

Sora touched his own hair, remembering how spiky it was.

"Spikier," said Tifa.

"You must mean Cloud," said Takuya.

"That'd be him."

"He'd be back in town," said Takuya, "He's still looking for Sephiroth."

"Okay, thanks," said Tifa, heading over to a wall and gave it a firm kick, "I'll just be going now. Sorry to bother you guys."

"No bother, ma'am," replied Sora, Donald, and Goofy, acting all professional-like.

Just after she left through the door, a voice from behind spoke up.

"So you made it," said Leon, "That Tifa has some kick to her. She could hold her own in any fight."

"I can tell," said Takuya, "So, about the King?"

Leon shushed them before they could say another word.

"The King stepped out for a second," said Leon, speaking softer, "However, this is what'll interest you."

He opened a panel that triggered the wall that Tifa kicked, to disappear.

"This way," sad Leon, "Ansem's computer is just over here."

So, he led them to the computer room, where Sora ran straight for the computer, the others minus Leon joining him. When he couldn't get it to work, do to his lack of training with electronics other than the Gummy Ship, he started banging on the keyboard, trying to make it work.

"Easy," said Leon.

Everyone then noticed Stitch climbing up the wall behind Leon. They watched as he traveled across the ceiling before falling straight onto the keyboard feet first.

"Get offa there!" demanded Donald, jumping up after him.

Stitch jumped off onto Takuya's head, before heading off back down the corridor they entered. Donald turned around, activating a security measure.

"Attention current user," said a mechanical voice, "This is a warning. Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."

"Who's there?" asked Sora.

"I am the Master Control Program," said the MCP, "I oversee this system."

"So, you're like the operating system?" asked Takuya.

"That is correct, user," said the MCP.

Donald accidentally stepped on the keyboard again trying to get off of it.

"Donald," said Sora, Goofy, Leon, and Takuya.

"Decision gate reached," said MCP, missing the apology Donald made, though he didn't care, "You are now under arrest."

"Arrest!?" said Sora, thinking it was overkill.

Leon then noticed a light coming from the wall opposite of the screen. A light shown from it and shot out two beams of light.

"Watch out!" said Takuya, managing to get out of the way before the beams paralyzed Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Then multiple beams of light made them disappear bit by bit until they were no longer there. They had been downloaded into the computer mainframe, into Space Paranoids.

"Dang it," said Takuya, getting in front of the screen, "Return my friends NOW!!"

"Request denied," replied the MCP, "They are under arrest. They must be punished for misusing this system. Have a nice day."

(AN3)

"Let me try," said Leon, moving to the computer, "You track down that thing. I have a feeling he may be of help."

"Be right back," said Takuya, heading back to Ansem's room.

As Takuya trekked through the corridors, he found King Mickey talking with Stitch.

"There you are," said Takuya, "You got a lot of nerve doing that to the computer."

"Meega Nala Questa!" replied Stitch, in his carefree way.

"Just great," muttered Takuya, "A bad mouthing alien."

"Not just any alien, Takuya," said Mickey, "He's an experiment. Number 626, nicknamed Stitch. Stitch was just telling me that Sora and the others found the computer."

"More than that, they're INSIDE the computer," said Takuya.

"That's bad," said Mickey, "The MCP doesn't particularly like users. I hope they can get out of there without too much trouble."

"Leon's trying to see if he can't get something to work," replied Takuya, "Let's go."

Stitch laughed again before disappearing into a small charm with a picture of a small guitar called a Ukulele. Mickey and Takuya headed back down the corridor; however, by the time Mickey and Takuya made it back to the room, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were already back and Tifa had managed to move the picture of 'Ansem' to reveal an intricate design behind it. The others and Leon were examining it.

"See, the DTD! The Door to Darkness," said Sora.

"But that still leaves the password," replied Leon.

"Did someone mention the Door to Darkness?" asked Mickey, announcing their presence to the others.

"Your Majesty!" cried out Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Mickey shushed them while Takuya did a 'quiet down' motion with his hands. Takuya closed the door while Mickey was bombarded with hugs from Donald and Goofy.

"So, where have you been?" asked Takuya.

"Space Paranoids," said Sora.

"A world inside the computer," explained Leon.

"You mentioned the Door to Darkness?" asked Mickey.

"Yes sir," reported Goofy, King Mickey's Captain of the Guard, "We're looking for the secret password that activates it."

"Password?" wondered Mickey.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy felt sadness, thinking that Mickey didn't know.

"Maybe a code?" suggested Takuya.

"That's got to be it," said Mickey, moving towards the mural on the wall.

"Wasn't Kingdom Hearts referred to as the 'Door to Darkness' by 'Ansem' your majesty?" asked Takuya.

"That's right," said Mickey, "And the way to open that door was by gathering the Princesses of Heart. That's Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle…"

"Aurora, Alice, and Cinderella," continued Takuya, counting them off.

"And Kairi," said Sora.

"I'll put it in," said Leon, heading back to the computer.

"What's the password for?" asked Mickey.

"We can access Ansem's research data if we had the password," said Sora, "And now that we have it, we can get information about what's going on around here."

"So you might be able to find out where he is!" exclaimed Mickey, getting a little excited.

"You mean he's moved his base of operations?" asked Takuya.

"He just disappeared a few years back and I haven't been able to contact him since," replied Mickey.

(AN4)

"What's with the joke guys, we already defeated Ansem," said Sora, "You both know that."

"Looks like I've got some explaining to do," said Mickey.

"There's more than one Ansem?" asked Takuya.

"Hey," said Leon, "Isn't Tron waiting for you guys?"

"That's right," said Sora, "We'll be right back, you majesty!"

"I'm not going anywhere," said Mickey, "I'll be right here if I'm needed to fight alongside everyone."

"Thanks your majesty," said Sora.

"No, I should be thanking you, Sora," countered Mickey, "And as a thank you present, I'm gonna give you some of my power. This should unlock the Master Drive Form for you. Unlike Valor and Wisdom, you'll need both Donald and Goofy for this one."

"I'll use it with pride, your majesty," said Sora.

"One more thing," said Takuya, as he brought out the Ukulele Charm, "Stitch gave this to me."

Takuya handed the Charm over to Sora. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran off to return to Space Paranoids to meet up with Tron.

"So," said Takuya, "Mind telling me who this other Ansem is?"

"Not Ansem per say," said Mickey, "He just claimed he's Ansem. I couldn't tell you who it is."

"And Riku?" asked Takuya.

"He's working his way into the Organization's stronghold. With Namine's help, he's going to try and free Kairi so they can escape."

"Okay," said Takuya, "So we have the Organization on one side, Maleficent on another. Is there someone else we need to worry about?"

"I don't know," said Mickey, "Something's telling me there is, but I can't place my finger on it."

Just then a great rumbling shook the Postern, and the rest of Hollow Bastion.

"I'll go check it out," said Takuya, "Stay here and explain things to Sora and the others."

"Right," said Mickey, heading towards the computer room.

Takuya headed out into town, only to see darkness off in the distance.

"Oh great," said Takuya, "More Heartless than I can count. This is gonna be tough."

Before he headed over there, he stopped by a Moogle Merchant.

"Here," said Takuya, handing some items over to the Moogle, "Everything I've collected so far. With what I got from Riku, how close are the items to being ready?"

"The items on request still need a few more ingredients for synthesis," said the Moogle, "Please return with the items and the weapons in question will be synthesized in a matter of minutes."

"Thanks," said Takuya.

Takuya ran towards where the army of Heartless was, changing into Flamon on the way there. He had to bring his best if he was going to survive.

(AN5)

* * *

Mickey passed by Leon on his way to the Computer Room. When get got there, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were getting access to the data within Ansem's research file. Mickey recognized Ansem's picture when Sora managed to bring it up, as it was the only uncorrupted piece of data in the DTD program.

"Well," said Mickey, getting their attention, "I see you managed to get things working."

"Where's Takuya?" asked Sora.

"Checking out the town with Leon. Something's going on out there. However, we need to get this data now if we're gonna keep it away from the MCP."

"Right," said Sora, "So, do you know who this guy is?"

"Of course I do," said Mickey, "That's Ansem the Wise."

"Not that joke again," said Sora, "It's not funny."

"I'm not laughing, or joking," replied Mickey, "That really is Ansem."

"Sorry your majesty," said Sora, dragging him back to Ansem's room, "you gotta see this."

When they got back to the room, Sora brought Mickey to the portrait of 'Ansem'.

"Look," said Sora, "THIS is Ansem. The guy we all battled our hardest to prevent from getting Kingdom Hearts?"

"Oh, that's right," said Mickey, now understanding the mix-up, "I never got to explain everything.

"Well, the man in the painting is definitely the guy who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts, the one you fellas defeated. However, what you don't know is that you actually defeated his Heartless. You see, he not REALLY Ansem, he just claimed that he was."

"WHAT!?!?" exclaimed Sora, along with Donald and Goofy, "You mean we did all that to defeat an imposter!?"

"Yep, but he still had to be stopped," said Mickey.

"Wait a second," said Goofy, "Didn't Takuya ask if there was two Ansems? If this guy's the fake, then where's the real one."

"That's right," said Mickey, "And that's what I'm trying to figure out. I met with Ansem long ago one time, but I haven't been able to find him since he disappeared. And there hasn't been a trace for me to follow. But I do know that he had access to the Organization's plans and what's been happening to the worlds, and I'm sure he's logged it in the DTD program."

"Hmm," said Goofy, thinking over something.

"There's more?" asked Sora.

"Well, think about this," said Goofy, "Some feller named Ansem, who wasn't REALLY Ansem, became a Heartless. If he had a Heartless…"

"Then a Nobody was formed as well," said Donald, catching on to Goofy's train of thought.

(AN6)

"That's right," said Mickey, "And it's that Nobody who's Leader of Organization 13."

"No way," said Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Yes," continued, "I know I met the Fake Ansem somewhere and I've also seen the Leader of Organization 13 as well. Felt like the same guy to me."

"So, where'd you meet him?" asked Sora.

"I don't know," said Mickey, getting disappoint from his friends, "Ansem the Wise should know this guy's real identity, and that's why I'm trying to find him."

"You," said Sora, looking at 'Ansem', loathing in his voice, "It's because of you that all of this happened. Because of you, Riku and Kairi… Wait, Your majesty. What about Riku? Where is he?"

"I'm sorry," sighed Mickey, downtrodden, "I can't help."

"Do you know about Kairi? Axel kidnapped her from Twilight Town," said Sora.

"That's bad, real bad," said Mickey, before realizing something, "Guys, I forgot the most important thing about friendship before now, and that is: helping others should come before asking for help. We're alright and able to help the others. Why don't we look for Riku and Kairi together, after finding Takuya of course."

"Right," chuckled Sora.

Another rumble went through town, more violently than before.

"Hurry," said Sora, "Outside!"

"Look's like we might need to help out here first," said Mickey, leading the way outside to the front of the Postern.

* * *

After a short encounter with Maleficent, battling Heartless and Nobodies, as well as managing to convince Yuna, Paine, and Rikku to join Leon's side, Sora Donald and Goofy finally got outside to the Postern, only to be met by Sephiroth.

"No way," said Sora.

"It's Sephiroth," added Donald.

"Isn't he supposed to be the Dark part of Cloud's Heart?" asked Goofy.

"Did Cloud tell you that?" asked Sephiroth, "Then I guess he knows what must be done."

"What do you want with him?" asked Sora.

"Nothing," replied Sephiroth, "It's Cloud that wants Darkness if he's searching for me."

"He says he wants to settle the score with you," informed Sora.

"I see," said Sephiroth, "He wants to face off with me once more. Then I should give him what he wants. That last bit of light is always the hardest to snuff out."

Sephiroth disappeared to find Cloud. Sora and the others continued toward the restoration site, only to see Leon and Aerith fighting Heartless. Aerith noticed Nobodies behind Sora and warned him. After defeating the Nobodies, Leon called after them, heading towards the Bailey.

"The King's over at the Bailey. Meet him there!" said Leon.

"Right!" replied Sora, as he, Donald, and Goofy continued on their way to the Bailey.

When they made it there, they saw another opening, which they went through. They got to the edge of a cliff, only to see a HUGE army of Heartless heading towards town from the dark castle across the way.

* * *

Yuffie had been battling for a while with her Kunai and Shuriken and was getting exhausted. Before the Heartless could overwhelm her, Aerith healed her with a Cura Spell. Yuffie thanked her and they rejoined the battle.

* * *

Stitch was battling his hardest with his blasters to destroy the Heartless as they got close to him.

* * *

Even the trio from before was helping out; using combo moves to take out the Heartless one at a time. It wasn't very effective, but was still getting the job done.

* * *

Leon managed to join up with Cloud, but both were surrounded by Heartless.

"Think you can handle this many?" asked Leon, though he already knew the answer.

"Might be tough if one more shows up," replied Cloud.

"Then that'll have to be the one I destroy," added Leon.

"What?" said Cloud, feigning surprise, "You're battling too?"

And so, the two warriors engaged the Heartless surrounding them in battle.

* * *

Flamon was having a bit of trouble battling the Heartless that had cornered him.

"Hey, bozos," said Flamon, "Get a load of this!"

DIGIVOLUTION!

"Flamon Digivolve to…" said Flamon.

"Agunimon," finished Agunimon.

Agunimon called forth his Pyro Tornado to defeat the Heartless before moving on to the next group.

* * *

Cloud managed to defeat the last few that charged in on him, only for another group to surround him. However, before he could battle them, Sephiroth showed up and destroyed them.

"Sephiroth!!" shouted Cloud, preparing his Buster Blade weapon for battle.

"I understand that you've been looking for me," replied Sephiroth, calmly.

"Yeah," said Cloud, "Once I defeat you, the Darkness will go away!"

"Is that right?" replied Sephiroth, "Good luck with that. I guess it'd be so easy to erase your own dark memories, to erase that dark past of yours."

"Shut up!" said Cloud, his patience wearing thin.

"Face it," said Sephiroth, "You can't get rid of the darkness anymore than I can get rid of the light."

"You don't know me!"

"Cloud!" shouted Tifa, heading over to where the two of them were.

Sephiroth disappeared and Cloud ran away from Tifa, with the intent of chasing his dark half.

"Cloud wait!" shouted Tifa, before Heartless surrounded her.

She began using her martial arts and powerful attacks to defend herself.

(AN7)

* * *

"Leon, everyone," vowed Sora, "Hang on, we're coming!"

They started to head out, only for Mickey to jump down in front of them.

"Okay guys," said Mickey, wanting them out of the fight, "You look for Riku and Kairi."

"We can't just abandon Leon and the others," said Sora, "They're our friends as well. Not to mention we gotta get Takuya out of there!"

"Everyone can manage here," said Mickey, "We can handle it."

"I promised Leon," said Sora, "And I can't turn back on that promise."

"You gonna have to," said Mickey, "Donald, Goofy, take Sora and get out of here. I'll send Takuya along as soon as I can reach him."

"Riku, Kairi," said Sora quietly, "Give me a little more time, okay?"

Donald and Goofy were indecisive as to follow the king's orders, or keep Sora's promise to their friends. They made up their mind, to follow Sora, because he's where they need to be. They had to stay with the Keyblade's bearer, so technically they wouldn't be disobeying the King, as his previous orders were to stay with Sora.

"Your majesty," said Donald.

"We understand," followed up Goofy, "We'll go after Kairi and Riku."

"Right," said Mickey, keeping his eyes on the battlefield, "Keep a watch out for danger."

"You be careful too," replied Donald.

"But, you guys," pleaded Sora.

"Sora," replied Donald, seemingly ignoring the plea, "Do as your told."

"You're coming with us whether you want to or not!" finished Goofy.

"Come on, Sora, you gotta be good," said Donald, before winking at him.

Sora finally understood that Donald and Goofy were with him. He gave a silent thank you.

"Well then," said Goofy, "Skedaddle!!"

Sora turned around, ready to head into battle.

"Let's go," said Donald.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy then ran right past the King, and jumped down the cliff, landing at the surface before.

"Sorry your majesty," said Sora.

"Please forgive us," added Goofy, as they continued on down to the next landing.

Mickey couldn't help but smile.

'One could say their just like you, Takuya,' thought Mickey, 'Always jumping into battle to help others.'

Mickey sighed one last time before jumping after them. Even they couldn't do it on their own against this many Heartless.

* * *

(AN8)

As Sora, Donald, and Goofy made their way down, Demyx showed up, looking surprised to see them.

"Hey," said Demyx, trying to cover his surprise, "You guys are looking lively."

"Get out of here," said Donald.

"Weren't you messing around in the Underworld?" asked Sora, "How'd a wimp like you end up in Organization 13?"

"Can you even fight?" teased Donald.

"You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance," said Demyx, in an attempt to be intimidating.

The three of them just summoned their weapons, not afraid of threats.

"Oh," sighed Demyx, "I told them they were sending the wrong guy…"

"Just who is this kook?" asked Sora.

"He's a Nobody, just like the other members," said Goofy.

"That's right," remembered Sora, "No Hearts."

"Oh we do too have Hearts," replied Demyx, "Don't be mad."

"Like we're gonna fall for that," countered Donald.

"Silence traitor," said Demyx, adopting that intimidating voice from before.

Demyx then summoned his Sitar weapon, and the battle began.

* * *

By the time Mickey caught up with the others, they had already defeated Demyx.

"NO WAY!!" shouted Demyx, as he faded into nothingness.

"Anyone else wanting a piece of me!!" shouted Sora.

"Don't antagonize them," chided Donald.

"Sorry," said Sora, "I guess I got caught up in the moment."

"AHA!" said Mickey, getting their attention, "I finally found you."

The others looked fearful as though he was there to scold them for disobeying him.

"You sure got a lot of friends to help out," said Mickey, surprising them, "So, we better give it our best so we can go look for Kairi and Riku with our full focus."

"Yes sir," replied Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

* * *

Agunimon was battling a few Heartless just above where Sora, Donald, and Goofy were battling Demyx. He noticed them as he was dodging attacks.

"I'll join them once I'm done here," said Agunimon, dodging another attack.

However, the blast from this Heartless collided with some rubble, sending a piece flying down to where the others were.

"Oh no!" shouted Agunimon, heading for the edge.

Agunimon could only watch in horror as Goofy got King Mickey out of the way before getting hit on the head himself. He fell back and knocked his head against the other wall. Agunimon turned to the Heartless, fury in his eyes.

"That was my friend," said Agunimon, flames surrounding him, "YOU WILL **PAY!!!!!**"

Using the flames, he transformed into BurningGreymon, but this time, the beast had control, only following Takuya's order to take out the Heartless. BurningGreymon used Wildfire Tsunami to take out that Heartless, before flying off to destroy more.

* * *

"This is not happening," said Sora, fear evident in his voice, "It can't be happening."

"Goofy," said Mickey, fearful of his friend's demise, before swearing silently, "They'll pay for this!"

He took off his cloak, revealing his Battle garments. He summoned the King's Crown Keyblade, which had the opposite color scheme than the Kingdom Key Sora was using, and charged into battle, taking out Heartless like Nobody's business. Donald soon followed, with Sora right behind them.

As Sora charged through the Heartless, he managed to get help from Yuffie, Leon, Tifa, and even Cloud.

"Are you okay?" asked Mickey, as they got to a safe point.

"I'm fine, but…" said Sora, not finishing the sentence that didn't need to be finished.

"Goofy," finished Donald for him.

"HEY FELLAS!!" shouted Goofy, getting their attention.

Apparently, Goofy managed to recover thanks to Aerith, and he had to chase after the others that had gone ahead without him.

"Aw, Goofy," said Mickey, hugging one of his best friends.

"I get hit on the head all the time, don't you know?" reminded Goofy, causing the other three to chuckle.

Donald marched up to Goofy and hit him on the leg.

"That hurt too," said Goofy, rubbing his smarting leg.

"Don't do that to us again!!" said Donald.

"Hey," said Sora, noticing something hiding in the crystal, "It's a few more pages from Pooh's book."

"Let's press on," said Donald, "We'll get back to Merlin's house later."

(AN9)

* * *

BurningGreymon continued to fight the Heartless, but was getting beaten himself since he wasn't using his rational mind at the moment. One critical blow knocked him back to his human form.

'Oh great,' thought Takuya, trying to get up, ignoring the pain telling him otherwise, 'Can't defeat a few lousy Heartless.'

However, before the Heartless could finish him off, Wind from the sky surrounded him as Ice Shards formed out of the air itself to defend Takuya and attack the Heartless respectively.

"No way! Thank you, Zoey," said Takuya, receiving the two Wind Spirits in his D-Tector, "I owe you big time, guys."

The Spirits then appeared around him, his two Fire spirits in the middle. The five of them glowed and an image appeared above them, a symbol that he had seen before, but didn't recognize. He felt a power inside his heart being unlocked, one that he liked.

(AN10)

"This is a new…" said Takuya, as his Spirits returned to his D-Tector, the Symbol glowing on the screen, "Evolution."

More Heartless appeared around him, but Takuya just smirked, his energy returning ten fold in excitement of a new evolution he hadn't tried before as well as his Heart's new power being unlocked.

"Alright, Heartless," said Takuya, "See if you can handle my new Ace up the sleeve."

Holding the D-Tector with his left hand, he summoned a ring of Data around his right, then added more around the first ring.

"EXECUTE NOW!!" shouted Takuya, running the data rings through his scanner, "**FUSION!!** **EVOLUTION!!!!!**"

Using both Human and Beast Spirits of Fire, Takuya changed into Aldamon, a Digimon who's power outmatched Agunimon and BurningGreymon's power put together.

"Time to party," said Aldamon, "ATOMIC INFERNO!!"

Using his new attack, he took out dozens of Heartless without even trying.

"I'm liking this," said Aldamon, before landing and concentrating his power in front of him, "Time to end this: SOLAR WIND DESTROYER!!!"

Sending and HUGE Fireball, he destroyed a few hundred Heartless. He then looked down into the valley next to where he was and saw Sora, in Limit Form, taking on a thousand Heartless at once, using a combination of his Sonic Blade, Ars Arcanum, and Ragnarok abilities to destroy them. He just chuckled, glad that Sora was doing alright himself, before turning around and seeing more Heartless. He charged into battle once more, intent on finishing it.

* * *

After battling and defeating 1000 Heartless at one time, Sora was extremely exhausted. He noticed Donald and Goofy racing up to him after battling the Heartless that had gotten between them and Sora.

"Where's the King?" asked Sora.

Just then, they noticed King Mickey defeating another Heartless.

"There he is," said Donald, as the three of them raced up the hill to join him, "Your majesty."

Mickey regarded them for a moment, before turning towards Xemnas, "Xehanort."

"How long since I abandoned that name?" wondered Xemnas, as if to himself.

"Out with it, Nobody," demanded Sora, "Where's Kairi and Riku?"

"I don't know of any Kairi," replied Xemnas, "As for Riku, why not ask your king?"

"STOP!!" shouted Mickey, going after Xemnas, who disappeared into a portal of Darkness with Mickey right behind him.

"Sora!!" said Aldamon, as he landed.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy got ready to fight, before they recognized their friend.

"Takuya?" asked Sora.

"That's me," said Aldamon, "Call me Aldamon like this."

"Why did he do that?" wondered Sora.

"He had to go after Xehanort's Nobody," said Aldamon.

"Way to fall right into their trap," said Axel, someone they had not seen in days, "Come on, it's a setup by Organization 13. Xemnas is using you to take out the Heartless, that's his big master plan."

"Xemnas?" wondered Donald.

"That guy you just saw," said Axel, "Xehanort's Nobody has named himself Xemnas. X-e-m-n-a-s, got it memorized?"

"The Organization wants to get rid of the Heartless?" asked Goofy, confused.

"And everyone wonders why no one's defeated you before," muttered Axel, "It's the Hearts that the Heartless release is what the Organization is after."

Sora turned to Aldamon, betrayal on his face.

"You knew!" said Sora.

"Of course he did," said Axel, "He's been playing you all along."

"What about Kairi?" countered Aldamon, "Where is she?"

"Yeah," said Sora, turning back to Axel, "Where's Kairi, Axel?"

(AN11)

"Look, about Kairi…" said Axel, "I'm sorry."

"Axel," said Saix, appearing out of his portal of Darkness.

"Uh oh," said Axel, disappearing into his own, mentally cursing himself for staying in one place for too long.

Sora tried to go after Axel, but Saix stopped him.

"We'll make sure that he receives the maximum punishment."

"I don't care about any of that," said Sora, "I want to see Kairi!!"

"Don't worry about Kairi," said Saix, "We're not going to kill her, if that's what your worried about."

"Take me to her," pleaded Sora.

"Is she that important to you?" asked Saix.

"More than anything," replied Sora.

"Show me," said Saix.

Sora fell down to his hands and knees and practically groveled before Saix.

(AN12)

"So," said Saix, "That's how strong you feel for her. The answer's no. Just keep slaying those Heartless, with all the rage you feel towards me for keeping you from the one you care about most. That way, we can complete Kingdom Hearts."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" said Maleficent, appearing in green fire.

"Great," said Aldamon, "All we need now is a Darkside Heartless and a Twilight Thorn Nobody."

"That's the last thing we need," said Sora.

"Dude," said Aldamon, "Kidding."

Maleficent teleported herself between them and Saix.

"Go, now," said Maleficent, "I am buying you time as you leave and devise a way to end their existence once and for all."

Maleficent disappeared, taking the Nobodies with her. More Heartless appeared, Sora destroyed them, before seeing the Hearts being released.

"Keep it up, Sora," said Saix, disappearing himself, "Extract more hearts for us to collect."

Aldamon attacked with his shields as melee weapons, destroying the Heartless. Another attacked Sora, who blocked it with his Keyblade.

"Maybe everything we've done," said Sora, "maybe it was pointless from the beginning. What can I do if I can't use the Keyblade?"

"Use it anyways," said Aldamon, deflecting another Heartless attack.

"But, the Hearts!" cried Sora.

"You truly are imbeciles," said Maleficent, "I can't trust you to do anything, can I?"

A portal of Darkness appeared under them, and they fell into it.

* * *

From afar, Cloud and Leon saw a bright flash of light from where Sora's group was.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy! Takuya!" said Leon, worried about his friends.

"I wouldn't worry about them," said Cloud, "Sora, Donald, and Goofy won't go down that easily. Not to mention Takuya is a True Hero. He won't quit until he returns to his friends. And the Keyblade's chosen one is a very lucky kid."

* * *

(AN13)

When Sora woke up, he saw nothing but Darkness. Soon, Donald and Goofy came into view from one direction, Takuya from another.

"What's this place?" asked Goofy.

"I'd have to say the Realm of Darkness," said Takuya, "This is the path that the Heartless take to go between worlds."

"Maybe Kairi and Riku are here!" said Sora.

They looked around, but saw nothing, except for Donald who saw a man in a cloak similar to that of Organization 13. He held a box in his hand.

"Hey!" cried out Donald, "Who's there?"

The man disappeared, leaving behind the box before Donald got there. Donald opened the box to reveal a sea-salt Ice Cream bar and a picture.

"Hey, it's the gang from Twilight Town," said Goofy, "Hayner, Pence, Olette, and uh…"

"Roxas," said Sora.

"You know him?" asked Donald.

"No, I just know that name," said Sora, before turning to Takuya, "How about you?"

"I never met him personally, but he definitely was friends with these three," said Takuya, omitting the part about the picture being from a Digital Twilight Town.

Just after Donald took a bit out of the Ice Cream, it glowed a familiar glow.

"Look's like that's our ticket out of here," said Takuya.

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and opened the pathway out of the Realm of Darkness.

"I can't go yet," said Sora, "I've got to look for Kairi."

"Later," said Takuya, pushing him out the doorway, "You won't do anyone any good unless you get out of here now!"

* * *

They managed to return to the Gummy Ship relatively unharmed.

"I guess help can come from unlikely places," said Sora, still reeling over the fact that Maleficent actually saved them, despite her intentions.

"I know what you mean," said Donald.

"Hmm," said Goofy, "A photo and some Ice Cream? Maybe it's a clue, but who would've left 'em there for us, anyway?"

"Riku?" asked Sora.

'Good guess, though you won't truly know for a while,' thought Takuya, before saying out loud, "Maybe. If he's alright, maybe he's choosing to help out in his own way."

"Look, we're almost there," said Donald.

"What about the Heartless?" asked Sora, "If they're back, I can't use the Keyblade, because then that would just help the Organization out."

"You use it anyways," said Takuya, "Even in a lose-lose situation, you have to continue down your path. I learned that the hard way. Sometimes helping your enemy is the way to find a way to defeat them."

"Alright," sighed Sora, "I'll keep using it."

So, they headed for their next destination, and their next journey.

(Chapter End)

I thought this would be enough, given everything I've covered between Takuya and the others.

Also, in this story, Takuya has researched about his world on DiZ's computer, and found out about the balance between Light and Darkness. Again, doesn't matter because at the end his memory is erased and his timeline goes on as if nothing had ever changed.

Time for Character Profiles:

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, and Wind

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon

* * *

Name: Maleficent

Powers: Fire and Darkness

Wants: Kingdom Hearts

* * *

Name: Ansem

Other Names: Xehanort's Heartless

Weapon: Darkness

Protection: Dark Guardian

* * *

Name: Xemnas

Other Names: Xehanort's Nobody

Weapon: Nothingness and Aero blades

Protection: Nothingness

* * *

Name: Axel

Other Names: Lea's Nobody

Occupation: Organization Member VIII, Roxas and Xion's friend

Weapons: Fire and Chakrams

* * *

Name: Leon

Weapon: Gunblade

* * *

Name: Aerith

Weapon: Magic

* * *

Name: Yuffie

Weapon: Ninja equipment and skills

* * *

Name: Tifa

Weapon: Martial Arts

* * *

Name: Cloud

Weapon: Buster Blade

* * *

Name: Sephiroth

Weapon: Masamune and Darkness

* * *

Okay, time for Author Notes:

AN1: Yeah, I know I removed Aerith, but this takes away the confusion of how Aerith gets to the Postern before Sora's group.

AN2: Only the most dedicated of FF fans know who's who among these three. Sorry if I got them wrong.

AN3: Like MCP would ever REALLY say that. (LOL)

AN4: Mickey doesn't know that DiZ is Ansem at this point.

AN5: Well, gotta give something for Takuya to do to keep him away from Sora and the others for part of this chapter.

AN6: Like Goofy HAS a train of thought. (LOL)

AN7: I feel like she is the Final Fantasy version of Sakura from Naruto: Shippuden and a Martial Arts user. Lots of strength and good martial arts when using it

AN8: I didn't add these scenes because I didn't feel the need. Besides, I didn't even recognize Aqua's armor and Keyblade until today, when I saw that cutscene again. Nice foreshadowing that can be easily missed.

AN9: Yeah, how about way later after a few more worlds have been covered, and again, not really being covered in the first place, remember?

AN10: This is when Takuya figures out what it means to be a True Hero, and where he gets the power of Fusion Evolution. The Power of his Heart comes from Zoey, and only when he realizes this does he access this power.

AN11: Yeah, I already put down that Sora and the others knew who Axel was.

AN12: Very sad sight here, Sora groveling; however, it's for Kairi, so I admire how far he's willing to humiliate himself for her. That shows true love.

AN13: Yeah, couldn't figure out this scene either. The last one between Xemnas and Saix was easy enough, because of what was coming up next, but this time I don't have a clue.

Alright, only thing left is an Omake/Deleted Scene/Blooper. Whatever you want to call it. It can also be considered homage to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Let's do it.

(Omake Begin)

After the battle was over, Sora walked up to Aldamon, looking at his Keyblade for one last moment before dismissing it.

"Final Count: one thousand, two hundred fifty-two (1,252) Heartless," said Sora.

"One thousand, two hundred and fifty two, eh," said Aldamon, "Not bad for a Keyblade Wielder. I, myself, am sitting pretty on One thousand, two hundred fifty three. (1,253)"

Sora noticed a Heartless at Aldamon's tale, took out his Keyblade, and destroyed it with a quick Blizzard spell.

"One thousand, two hundred fifty-three," said Sora.

"That one counts as mine," said Aldamon.

"He twitched," complained Sora.

"He twitched," repeated Aldamon, "Cause he had MY tail embedded in his Shadow Nervous System."

(Omake End)

Anyone who can't guess what's that from has yet to see Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I just couldn't help it, when preparing this chapter. So, I settled on putting it in as something separate.

Okay, time to move on out.

Later,

RDF1


	7. Old places, New Experiences

Okay guys. We're repeating areas, but with new twists involved. This part of the game doesn't revolve around any movie for Mulan, but IS in between the two movies, as far as the Kingdom Hearts Universe is concerned. Also, this does finish off the precursor for the movie "Beauty and the Beast" in the sense that this is before the whole fight sequence and everything. But it IS nice that we finally get to face Xaldin in this world.

Alright, enough stalling, let's get to the next world already.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon or Kingdom Hearts. Just own the idea, which doesn't count for copyrights.

Also: if you have an idea for a Digimon Villain for Takuya to battle before The World That Never Was, please make suggestions by reviewing or PMing me.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_Just after Donald took a bite out of the Ice Cream, it glowed a familiar glow._

_"Look's like that's our ticket out of here," said Takuya._

_Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and opened the pathway out of the Realm of Darkness._

_"I can't go yet," said Sora, "I've got to look for Kairi."_

_"Later," said Takuya, pushing him out the doorway, "You won't do anyone any good unless you get out of here now!"_

* * *

_They managed to return to the Gummy Ship relatively unharmed._

_"I guess help can come from unlikely places," said Sora, still reeling over the fact that Maleficent actually saved them, despite her intentions._

_"I know what you mean," said Donald._

_"Hmm," said Goofy, "A photo and some Ice Cream? Maybe it's a clue, but who would've left 'em there for us, anyway?"_

_"Riku?" asked Sora._

_'Good guess, though you won't truly know for a while,' thought Takuya, before saying out loud, "Maybe. If he's alright, maybe he's choosing to help out in his own way."_

_"Look, we're almost there," said Donald._

_"What about the Heartless?" asked Sora, "If they're back, I can't use the Keyblade, because then that would just help the Organization out."_

_"You use it anyways," said Takuya, "Even in a lose-lose situation, you have to continue down your path. I learned that the hard way. Sometimes helping your enemy is the way to find a way to defeat them."_

_"Alright," sighed Sora, "I'll keep using it."_

_So, they headed for their next destination, and their next journey._

(Recap End)

(Land of Dragons)

When they landed, they were in the village that Shan Yu had burned to the ground, and defeated Takuya quite easily.

"I wonder how everyone's doing," said Goofy.

"Look," said Donald, pointing ahead.

They saw a man in an Organization Cloak at the upper edge of the village. After turning to look at them, he ran off up the mountain.

'Riku,' thought Takuya, 'What are you doing here?'

"HEY YOU!" shouted Sora.

"Sora!" shouted a familiar voice.

The four of them turned to see Mulan run up.

"Hey, Mulan," said Sora, "No time to talk, we need to catch that guy!"

"I'm after him as well," replied Mulan.

"Let's go together," said Takuya, heading on up the mountain first.

The others followed him. When they got up the mountain pass, they saw the cloaked guy (Riku) head further up the mountain with Takuya following him; however, before they could follow, Nobodies showed up and they had to fight them before moving on.

* * *

While the others battled nobodies, Takuya chased Riku up the mountain.

"Hey! Stop already," said Takuya, as they neared the peak, "What's going on?"

Riku stayed quiet, but pointed up the slope. Heartless appeared as Sora and the gang caught up with them.

"Take care of the Heartless," said Sora, summoning the Kingdom Key, "I've got this guy."

"No," said Takuya, "He's mine. EXECUTE NOW! FUSION EVOLUTION!"

Takuya Fusion Evolved into Aldamon, ready to battle Riku as he summoned the Soul Eater.

'Mickey told me he was getting the Way to the Dawn,' thought Aldamon, 'Where's that Keyblade?'

Riku charged, only for Aldamon to catch his Keyblade with his shield. Bringing the other one around, he sent Riku back a few feet. Riku summoned a Dark Blizzara and blasted Aldamon back. Sora came out of nowhere and attacked Riku with Kingdom Key, only for him to block with Soul Eater. After crossing blades a few times, Sora tried a Fire attack, only to be countered by Dark Fire from Riku. Riku jumped back just as Aldamon joined Sora. He made a motion as if disappointed in Sora, before running back down the mountain.

"I couldn't be, could it?" asked Sora, "Was that… Riku?"

'It WAS his Keyblade,' thought Aldamon, before speaking, "I don't know. I haven't heard from him since before you guys woke up."

Donald, Goofy, and Mulan joined up with them after defeating the rest of the Heartless.

"Did you get him," asked Goofy.

"No," said Sora, not speaking a whole-truth, "He got away. What now?"

"Maybe we need to get rid of the rest of the Heartless," suggested Goofy.

"That'd be a way to start," said Aldamon, before the mountain shook around them.

They looked towards the summit and saw a HUGE Dragon-looking Heartless appear out of the snow.

"Uh-oh," said Aldamon, extending his wings, "We might need to start with him!"

(AN1)

"It's heading for the city!" shouted Mulan, as they watched the Dragon Heartless fly towards the Imperial City.

"I'll hold him off," said Aldamon, taking to the air, "You guys warn the Emperor!"

The others headed down the mountain as Aldamon flew after the Dragon Heartless.

* * *

Riku had already made it to the Palace thanks to a Dark Portal he used. After defeating Shang, which wasn't exactly hard for the experienced battler, he approached the Emperor.

"What is it that you seek?" asked the Emperor.

"There is a Dragon that Shan Yu killed years ago that has now become a Heartless. That Heartless is approaching the City even as we speak," replied Riku.

"I shall inform my guards and we shall deal with the matter ourselves," said the Emperor.

"There is no need," said Riku, "Three wise guys and a fire wielder have already arrived and they can take care of it. Make sure everyone has made it to safety before the Dragon arrives."

"Very well," said the Emperor, "Captain Shang, see to it that everyone is safe."

"Yes, your Excellency," said Shang, now having recovered and made way to follow said orders.

"Thank you," said Emperor, only to find that Riku had already disappeared.

* * *

As Sora and the others were making their way towards the Emperor, battling Nobodies that Xigbar summoned, Aldamon was chasing after the Dragon Heartless.

"This guy sure moves fast for someone without a heart to pump adrenaline through his system."

When he finally got close enough to the Dragon Heartless, he let loose an Atomic Inferno at close range. This caused the Dragon Heartless to face him.

"That got your attention, didn't it?" quipped Aldamon.

The Dragon roared and lunged out with his tail. Aldamon dodged it, only to get hit by the Dragon Heartless's fire, knocking him back a ways.

"That wasn't very nice," said Aldamon, flying around to get in front of the Dragon, only to get hit by his wings.

By this time, they had flown into the Imperial City and at the Palace, so when Aldamon landed, Sora and the others were rushing up to him, having seen him get hit.

"You okay, Takuya?" asked Sora.

"I'm fine," said Takuya, already knowing what would be smarting for a while.

Sora and the others took over, while Takuya caught his breath. Even after Donald healed him, it would take a while for the pain to completely go away. As Sora and the others were fighting, Mulan and Donald were hit hard and taken out of the fight temporarily.

"Goofy," said Sora, "Let's try Valor!"

"Right!" replied Goofy, ready to give his strength to Sora.

However, Goofy didn't merge with Sora, because Sora had used Drive forms too much since receiving the ability, he turned into the black Anti-form. The Anti-form had a lot of strength for a form without a Keyblade, but the drawback is that he relies only on instinct, and not intelligence. This meant that he would attack his friends if they got in the way.

"Oh crap!" said Takuya, turning into Flamon and rushing towards his friend.

"Sora?" wondered Goofy.

Anti-Sora looked at him, but before he could attack him, Flamon stopped him halfway.

"Finish off the Heartless with the others, I'll get Sora to calm down in the meantime."

"Right," said Goofy, taking out two Hi-Potions and using them on Donald and Mulan.

The three of them battled the Dragon Heartless while Flamon and Anti-Sora wrestled.

"Come on, Sora," said Flamon, struggling against the strength of Anti-Sora, "Keep it together.

Anti-Sora didn't respond, only continued to battle Flamon. Flamon used his tail to try and keep Anti-Sora still, but Anti-Sora grabbed the tail and flung him into the Palace Wall.

"Okay," said Flamon, getting back up, "Let's dance!"

Flamon, having more natural instinct than Takuya, allowed him to feel out Anti-Sora's movements and as they battled, Flamon was able to get the upper hand and pin Anti-Sora to the ground as the Drive ran out of power and Sora returned to normal.

"Huh?" said Sora, confused to his surroundings. The last thing he was aware of was battling the Dragon Heartless, now he was pinned to the ground by Flamon and the Dragon Heartless was defeated, "Flamon, what's going on?"

(AN2)

Flamon released Sora and helped him up, before saying, "Let's just say you might want to conserve how often you go into a Drive Form."

"Why?" asked Sora.

"You turned into the Anti-Form: All strength and instinct, but no Keyblade and conscious intelligence. The others can't even heal you in that state."

"Sorry, geez," said Sora, "You don't have lay the guilt trip that heavy."

"Just try to be more careful," said Takuya, changing back walking towards the Palace, "We don't need you getting yourself killed just because you can't dodge attacks, right?"

"HEY!" said Sora, feeling insulted, started chasing after him.

Takuya laughed and jumped back as Sora leaped and landed face first on the ground. This caused laughter from Donald, Mulan, and Goofy as well as Shang, who had showed up after the others were safe.

* * *

After everything and everyone calmed down, the seven of them reconvened in the Emperor's throne room.

"Once again, you have served China well," said the Emperor, "It would please me to reward you."

Donald and Goofy's thoughts instantly went to Munny and Food respectively; however, Sora had other ideas.

"Well," said Sora, "You said a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?"

"That is all?" asked the Emperor.

"Yes," said Sora, disappointing Donald and Goofy in the process.

Takuya smirked, knowing that Sora made the right choice. The Emperor then explained about the Dragons that have plagued China in the past. Apparently someone evil in the past (Shan Yu or Xigbar works) disturbed his slumber and turned him into a Heartless.

"Did you alert your soldiers?" asked Sora.

"I was going to," replied the Emperor, "But he said the circumstances had changed."

"He said three wise guys and a Fire Wielder had arrived and they would handle it."

"That has to be Riku!" said Sora, excited that his friend is alright.

"I'm gonna get him for that 'fire wielder' comment," said Takuya, "I don't just wield fire, I focus and enhance it by channeling my power through it."

"But what's Riku doing by hanging out with Organization XIII?" asked Goofy.

"Well, didn't Saix say that he had Kairi at the Organization stronghold?" asked Takuya, "Maybe he's trying to get Kairi out of there safely, and needs time to do it discreetly."

Mulan then asked if Shang could get a brake from his duties, but the Emperor denied and instead asked if Mulan would join Shang in protecting him. Mulan accepted without hesitation. Sora felt tears in his eyes, thinking of a certain someone. Takuya placed in hand on Sora's shoulder, getting his attention. Takuya nodded. Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, and getting the same response, he smiled, his tears going away.

"Thanks for everything," said Takuya, "Stay safe now."

And with that, they left the Land of Dragons to continue their adventure.

* * *

(Beast's Castle)

Upon landing, they went in the Castle and saw Beast in a more professional attire than they had ever seen him wear before.

"Hey," said Sora, "It's Beast!"

"Hey guys," said Beast, though not overly enthusiastic about seeing them.

"Everything okay?" asked Takuya.

"There doesn't seem to be any Heartless around, no Nobodies as well," said Donald.

"Doesn't mean they've left," added Goofy.

"The Heartless haven't appeared that much since your last visit," said Beast.

Soon, the door to the East Wing opened and Belle entered in an elegant yellow dress.

"Wow," said Takuya, "She cleans up nice."

"This is a very important night for us," said Beast.

"We'll be sure not disturb you guys," said Sora.

So, everyone entered the Ballroom, as Takuya looked up at the ceiling, he suddenly remembered something he saw in his world and nudged Sora.

"What?" asked Sora, quietly.

"Whatever you do," said Takuya in a whisper, "DON'T summon Stitch here."

"Why?" asked Sora.

"Let's just say that in my world: the movies can tend to overlap for unknown reasons."

(AN3)

"Monsieur and Mademoiselle," said Lumiere, "Please enjoy your evening. We welcome our guests to join in as well."

"A welcome indeed," said Xaldin.

"What are you still doing here!" said Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector.

"Get out!" shouted Beast, letting go of Belle and charging towards Xaldin, intent on making him pay for ruining such a special night.

Xaldin summoned Nobodies to block the Beast from getting to him.

"I've come to take something very dear to you," said Xaldin.

"NOOOOO!" shouted Beast, knowing what Xaldin was talking about.

"I'm on it!" said Takuya, taking off towards the West Wing.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Beast worked together on taking out the Nobodies that were block their way.

* * *

When Takuya got there, Xaldin had already gotten the Rose.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" shouted Takuya, turning into Flamon.

"Oh please," said Xaldin, using his free hand to summon a Lance and use it to channel wind to blow back Flamon.

Xaldin then disappeared into a Portal of Darkness.

"GET BACK HERE!" shouted Flamon jumping in after him.

A few seconds later, the Beast came charging in, and seeing no one there, let out a HUGE fit. When the others joined him, he was as angry as ever.

"What's wrong?" asked Belle.

"What's wrong?" quipped Beast, "You wanting to have a party! That's what's wrong! Look what happened!"

"Hey!" said Sora, "Don't take it out on her!"

"My Rose," said Beast, "Xaldin took my rose! And probably killed Takuya in the process."

"No!" said Sora, "Takuya wouldn't lose to someone like him! And can't you find another Rose!"

"That Rose was special!" said Beast, "It holds everything tied to the curse! Without it…"

"I'm sorry," said Belle, "I didn't know."

"There's no need to apologize," said Sora.

"Belle, Sora," said Beast, "I need you to leave the castle! You can't help me anymore. When you first got here, Belle, I tried to change for you, but now…"

"Then why send me away?" wondered Belle.

"I was a beast before I turned into this form," said Beast, "And now, I'll stay a beast, to pay for what I've done in the past, to everyone."

"I don't think he's going to change his mind," said Goofy.

"Let's let him take a few minutes to calm down, then we'll talk to him about getting his rose back," said Sora.

After getting Belle and the servants out of the room, they decided to check out the purple sphere that was left in the room. When they entered it, they got into a battle with Marluxia. Afterwards, they were returned to Beast's Room, only to find a few minutes had passed.

They approached the Beast.

"Hey, Beast," said Sora.

"Leave me alone!" said Beast, the anger having disappeared into depression.

"You need to hear this," said Sora, "Last year, you were fearless. You cared about Belle so much that even when this world fell into Darkness, you're Heart led you to Hollow Bastion to find her. You never stopped until she was safe. That showed us courage that you wouldn't believe. Not to mention, it showed us how strong the Heart can be. Are you gonna through away your one shot with Belle because you don't have that rose to tell you when time's up?"

"There's one thing I know," said Beast, turning around, "This Castle belongs to ME! And Xaldin will never be welcomed here!"

"That's the spirit!"

Soon, the Pedestal where the Rose was placed began to glow. A small sphere of light rose up from it and transformed into the Rumbling Rose Keyblade, which Sora placed in Hyperspace. They headed back to the Entrance Hall, to look for Xaldin and Takuya.

* * *

When they got there, Takuya was laying on the floor, unconscious, while Xaldin was above the entrance to the Ballroom.

"So Beast," said Xaldin, as they entered, "You came after all. I was beginning to worry that you had given up."

Donald got Takuya back on his feet with a Cura Spell.

"Thanks," said Takuya, sitting up.

"What do you guys really want!" demanded Sora.

"Kingdom Hearts," answered Xaldin simply, taking off his hood and showing them what he really looked like, "When Kingdom Hearts is complete, we can finally live fully and completely!"

"And you'll sacrifice as many worlds as it takes in order to do so!" said Takuya, standing up, "Not the most noble of means to an end."

"But it IS why we need your Heartless AND your Nobody, Beast," said Xaldin, summoning more Nobodies.

"EXECUTE!" shouted Takuya, "SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

Takuya Spirit Evolved into Agunimon and began battling the Nobodies alongside the others. After using a Limit Break to finish the rest of the Nobodies, Sora and the others went after Xaldin, who left out the front door.

"Get back here!" shouted Agunimon, as they ran through the door into the courtyard.

When they got there, they didn't see anyone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Belle had changed out of her yellow dress and back into her normal clothes. She sighed as she tried to think of a way to help Beast, when she noticed the Rose right next to her on the Balcony.

"Look," said Belle, calling out to Beast, "It's the Rose!"

Beast, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya looked up, only to see Xaldin capture both Belle AND the Rose and jump over the courtyard and out onto the Bridge. They chased after Xaldin, intent on getting Belle, and the Rose, back from him.

"Xaldin!" shouted Beast, "You are banished from ever stepping foot on these lands ever again! Leave NOW!"

"With pleasure," replied Xaldin, "However, I like traveling light, so what should I leave behind: Belle, or the Rose?"

"How about both!" said Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector once more, "Leave them both here and you can leave with your Nobody existence intact!"

"Belle!" shouted Beast, racing towards them.

Belle used the distraction to get the Rose and herself away from Xaldin. She ran back to the Castle, Beast and the others standing between her and Xaldin. Xaldin summoned his blades and the Wind Element, wielding two blades and using the Wind to wield the other four.

"I'll try to fend off the lances," said Takuya, summoning Data around his hand and scanning it through his D-Tector, "EXECUTE NOW! FUSION EVOLUTION!"

Aldamon stood ready to take on Xaldin alongside the others. Using the Wind, Xaldin sent his four lances at Aldamon, who flew up to dodge them. The lances then moved upward, following him. Sora moved forward to strike Xaldin along with Goofy, but Xaldin used his other two lances to block their attacks. Beast took advantage of this and attacked Xaldin from behind. Xaldin quickly recovered and called all six of his lances to him.

"You won't defeat me," said Xaldin, using the wind to control all six lances this time.

"Stay back and get ready to attack when I'm done," urged Aldamon, landing in front of them and focused power into his hands, "SOLAR WIND DESTROYER!"

Unleashing his power, Aldamon destroyed Xaldin's lances and with the power of the wind only helping it, Xaldin received massive damage.

"Go for it," said Aldamon, as Sora and Beast ran past him.

Unleashing one last Limit Break, Sora and Beast defeated Xaldin, who faded into Nothingness.

"One less member," said Aldamon, "Don't think we'd be missing ya either, Xaldin."

Afterwards, they met back with Belle in the Courtyard.

"Here," said Belle, giving the Rose back to Beast, "it's yours again."

"Belle…" said Beast, at a loss for words.

"I know," said Belle, fighting tears, "you want me to leave the Castle."

"No," said Beast, "You don't need to leave. You weren't hurt by Xaldin, and that's what mattered most to me: your safety."

"Well," said Belle, "I glad you got your Rose back as well."

"Yes," said Beast, "This Rose IS important to me, but I would like for you to stay here, with me, in the Castle."

"And I graciously accept," said Belle, bowing formerly.

The Beast returned with his own bow and they picked up where they left off in the Ballroom, the dance they never completed.

* * *

(Underworld)

When they landed in the next world, they were already at the entrance to the Underworld. They looked towards the entrance to the Coliseum to see Hercules and Megara standing at the entrance.

"Hey," said Hercules, still feeling depressed.

"Well," said Meg, "same routine. Wonder Boy here thinks his days of being a Hero are over, and Phil says it's all in his head."

"We know you're a hero, Herc!" said Goofy.

"That's right," said Takuya, "Just remember what it means to be a hero, and you'll be fine."

"That's right…" said Hades, making his entrance, "Blunderboy. How can you mope on a momentous day like today? The Underdrome's back, and you are gonna fill the stands. After all, your fans won't settle for anything less than a certified hero."

"Really?" asked Takuya, a plan hatching in his head, "Only a True Hero?"

"That's right," said Hades, "but if Herc's not up to it, he could always, you know: LOSE!"

"Bet you'd like that!" said Sora.

"Excuse me? Hey, I'm not a selfish guy. I'm not like those high and mighty SNOBS on Mount Olympus. I stand for the masses, and do I have a massive idea," said Hades, before speaking out in an announcing voice, "The Games, ladies and gentlemen, are BACK! Yours truly, Hades, the one and only Lord of the Dead, brings you the ultimate games to celebrate the re-opening of the ultimate coliseum! We'll finally get to answer that age-old question: Who deserves the title 'Ultimate Hero'? These games are gonna settle the debate once and for all! The winner reigns supreme. Of what, you may ask? Why, none other than the HADES CUP! And I assure you that the 'Great' Hercules will be there, otherwise…"

Hades turned and look at Megara, letting his sentence hang for a moment.

"You'll never see your girlfriend again," finished Hades.

"LOWLIFE!" shouted Sora as Hades left.

"You're too kind kid!" said Hades, thanking Sora for that remark.

"I'll be handling registration for the Hades Cup," said Pain, "Panic has the regular tournaments."

"It's a good way to train up if you're not ready for the big leagues," followed Panic.

"Okay," said Takuya, "You guys go for it. Something's not right here. I'm gonna see if there's Heartless or Nobodies around. Can't let Organization 13 get involved. Hades might use it as leverage against you guys."

"Okay," said Sora, "You'll check it out. We'll handle the Tournament."

"Be back soon," said Takuya, as he headed for the Underworld.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Hercules checked the Tournament set up.

"Who do we face first?" asked Hercules.

"The name says: Spin Strike," said Goofy.

"Look," said Donald, pointing to a name at the other side of the board, "Auron's in this tournament as well."

"Looks like we might face him in the finals," said Goofy.

"I'll bet he's a real hero, huh?" said Hercule, getting more depressed that Sora knew about another great fighter.

"I wouldn't say that," said Sora, "But I don't think he's a bad guy either."

(AN4)

"But you're the only home grown hero here, Hercules," said Sora, "You know that."

"Maybe before," said Hercules.

"QUIT IT BEFORE I SLAP YOU UPSIDE THE HEAD!" shouted Sora, before realizing what he said, and suddenly felt very embarrassed.

"Sora…" said Herc, wondering with a little fear what happened to his friend.

"I guess Takuya's been rubbing off on me a little," said Sora, using the toe of his shoe to make scrapings across the Underworld floor.

(AN5)

Soon, the Tournament was ready to begin, and they headed to the Underdrome for their first round match.

* * *

While snooping around in the Underworld, Takuya couldn't find anything; however, that doesn't mean no one found him. Cerberus was just waking up from a nap as Takuya walked by. Cerberus got up and made his way over to Takuya, who heard his footsteps.

"Don't make me take you down, boy," said Takuya, turning into Flamon, "I didn't fight you last time because I wasn't at the top of my game."

As Cerberus made to strike Flamon, he jumped up and landed behind Cerberus's middle head.

"So, I'd suggest you stop right now, before I put a more personal touch for you to understand," said Flamon, brining up a small scan of Data to his hand.

Cerberus gave out a loud defiant roar, trying to get him off. Flamon sighed, and plunged the data into the middle head, the Data spreading throughout the three-headed dog of Hades.

"There you go," said Flamon, "Now, let's see what Hades is up too."

Flamon placed his hand on Cerberus's middle forehead and focused on the Data he needed to see.

(Hades capturing Auron and taking out his soul and placing it in a small statue.

"Your will belongs to me now," said Hades, "You will do as I say or I will return you from where I found you."

Against his will, Auron said, "Yes, Hades.")

("You will participate in the Hades Cup for the sole reason of defeating Hercules," said Hades, "Do that and I'll forgive you of your crime."

"Yes, Lord Hades," said Auron, obediently.)

("Once Auron defeats that meddlesome Hercules," said Hades, "I'll be one step closer to ruling everything on this world.")

(AN6)

"Whoa," said Flamon, breaking the connection, "He really trusts you to listen in on his plans, boy. That show's that you're a God of the Underworld's Best Friend."

Cerberus quietly lowered his middle head and Flamon jumped off.

"Thanks, boy," said Takuya, petting all three of Cerberus's heads, "I've got to get going, but you stay out of trouble now."

Takuya made his way to Hades' chamber only to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy there, fighting Nobodies.

"Guys," said Takuya, "You got the statue?"

"Yeah," said Sora, striking down another Nobody, "But these guys aren't letting us go anywhere."

Soon, Heartless showed up and attacked the Nobodies.

"Not what I expected, but I'll take it," said Sora, turning and running towards Takuya, "Let's get out of here."

"Right with you," said Takuya, as he, Donald, and Goofy followed.

They hightailed it back to the Entrance without stopping.

"What happened to the Book?" asked Takuya, as they were running.

"Battled Zexion on the way down here," explained Sora, "We actually battled him on my ravaged home."

"Well," said Takuya, "At least you can say you had home field advantage."

"Right," said Sora, though he wasn't all that happy to see his home in such a state again.

They made it to the Underdrome to see Hercules battling against Auron.

"Looks like Herc's got back his fighting spirit," said Takuya.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want to hurt Auron, and he can only hold on for so long," said Sora, before calling out, "AURON! NO!"

"YO! AURON!" shouted Takuya, "I think you'd be better off with your own free will, and not Hades'."

Sora threw the statue over to Auron, which returned his free will to him. He stopped his battle with Hercules, who collapsed down in relief, and turned to the others.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya," said Auron.

"That's the Auron we know," said Takuya, as the others shouted in joy.

"Why you little…" said Hades, not thinking of a word descriptive enough to describe those four, before turning back to Auron, "Prisoner! What happened to our MUTUAL agreement?"

"I've told you before," replied Auron, his old attitude returning with a vengeance, "This is MY story, and you have no part in it!"

Hades was so made he exploded himself in front of them.

"THAT'S **IT**!" shouted Hades, fed up with his 'nice guy' routine, "This game is over. I've played by the rules so far. Okay, yeah, I was hoping Wonderboy would lose, but at least it would be FAIR! Is that REALLY so wrong?"

"YYYEEESSS!" said Takuya in a 'duh' voice.

"Like it was all that fair," said Sora.

"Joke all you want," said Hades, "Because the joke's over! We play by MY rules now."

He opened a nearby door that led to a Dungeon within the Underworld, a place where the losers that died would go. He teleported Megara over it, with him standing on the side.

"You broke our deal," said Hades, "You didn't fight, so you don't keep your girlfriend."

Hades released Megara into the Dungeon, with Hercules racing in right after her, no hesitation in his features.

"Looks like Wonderboy has dropped out of the standings," said Hades, closing the door behind him.

"Well, you still got us to deal with," said Sora, bringing out his Kingdom Key.

"No," said Takuya, standing between them and Hades.

"No?" said Auron, "Just who's side are you on?"

"Hades," said Takuya, ignoring Auron, "You and I have a score to settle!"

Takuya brought out his D-Tector and Fusion Evolved into Aldamon.

"It wasn't exactly fair last time since I didn't have the Olympus Stone," said Aldamon, "But now, let's see who's Fire is stronger!"

"Agreed," said Hades.

"Are you sure you can do this?" asked Sora.

"That doesn't matter," said Aldamon, "You four need to stay out of this."

Hades summoned his flames, while Aldamon concentrated his power into his Arm Guards.

"ATOMIC INFERNO!" shouted Aldamon, releasing his attack, while Hades unleashed his flames.

The flames collided in midair and Aldamon used the smoke to get around Hades and attack him close range. His strikes didn't do too much, but Hades did feel pain when he got hit.

"Is that it?" asked Hades.

"He can't win," said Sora.

"Why not?" asked Donald.

"Because it's HIS Underworld," said Auron, "Hades is too powerful for Aldamon to keep up his attack like that, his stamina would tire out too fast."

"Then how does he beat him?" asked Goofy.

"He doesn't" said Hades, knock back Aldamon a few yards.

"He does," said Hercules, glowing with God-like strength, "One True Hero may not be enough, but two will work wonders!"

"You can't be alive!" said Hades, "Only one type can survive down there!"

"You're right," said Hercules, "And I owe you one for that, Hades. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to give my life for Meg's, and then I remembered: A True Hero is measured by the strength of his Heart."

He set Meg down and turned to Sora and the others.

"I won't forget something like that again," said Hercules.

"Just ease off the crazy stunts," said Sora.

"People always do crazy things, when they're in love," said Hercules, "And I can tell Aldamon has someone like that on his world."

"Oh please, like that digital brat could've won against me anyways," said Hades, "He doesn't have it in him."

"Like I'd give up against a chump like you!" said Aldamon, not too fazed by Hades' attack earlier.

"Chump!" said Hades; feeling truly insulted now, "I am NOT a chump, just like you're not a hero!"

"And apparently you can't tell yet," said Aldamon, before reaching deep in his Heart and called forth his power, "The strength of MY heart is far stronger than you realize. I know where my strength lies. And I will return to her, no matter what!"

Aldamon began glowing just like Hercules.

"Shall we?" asked Aldamon.

"Your lead," replied Hercules.

Aldamon charged forward, with Hercules right behind him. Hades sent flames at them, only for both of them to dodge the flames, still charging. Aldamon leaped up into the air and landed behind Hades.

"These games are over!" shouted Aldamon, focusing his power into a single punch, knocking Hades over to Hercules.

"YOU LOSE!" shouted Hercules, using his power to knock Hades back over to Aldamon.

Hades recovered and summoned massive flames around him. Aldamon smirked, before focusing his power into his hands. Hades could only look on in fear and surprise as Aldamon took his flames and condensed them into a small sphere.

"Never challenge True Heroes ever again!" said Aldamon, pulling back the small sphere and launching it at Hades.

Hades tried to summon more flames, but couldn't in time as his own power hit him back to the floor. Hercules picked him up again and punched him over towards his own dungeon. Hades managed to pick himself up, feeling truly crippled by his own power.

"This isn't the end," said Hades, backing up, unaware as to what's behind him, "I'll be back… Whoa!"

Hades screamed as he fell down into the dungeon.

"He's not gonna be happy when he gets out of there," said Panic, looking fearfully over the edge with Pain.

"You mean IF he gets out of there," replied Pain.

"'If?'" said Panic, catching on to what his friend was saying, "'If' is good."

(AN7)

* * *

Everyone reconvened back at the entrance.

"What you gonna do now, Auron?" asked Donald.

"I lived my life defending others," said Auron, remembering his own past, "But now, there's no one left to protect. Maybe… it's time I shaped my own story."

"Yeah, you deserve it Auron," said Sora.

"After everything you've been through," said Takuya, "Anything less would criminal against you."

"I suppose I should thank you," said Auron.

"You don't have to," said Sora.

"Then I won't," said Auron, turning around.

"Well," said Sora, "What I mean is: you could thank us, a little."

"You should be clearer with what you mean," said Auron, turning back around, "Though I could say a few words."

Auron paused as he found the right words to say.

"Thanks for meddling!" said Auron.

'I guess that's his way of being nice,' thought Takuya, keeping his mouth shut.

"Before I forget," said Auron, turning back to them, "I think this might serve you better than it did me."

Auron brought out the statue that contained his free will and gave it to Sora. The statue glowed and turned into the Guardian Soul Keyblade.

"Wow," said Sora, looking it over, "Thank you, Auron."

"It's a way for us to stay connected," replied Auron, "Even if we're separated. Use it when you're in need of a Guardian. I'm sure it'll come in handy."

After that, Auron headed back down into the Underworld, considering it was where he belonged after losing his life. Sora and the others headed back upstairs to the Olympus Coliseum to see Hercules and his friends one last time.

"Thanks again guys," said Hercules as they approached them, "You're the best."

"Excuse us for meddling," said Donald, upset at what Auron said.

"Looks like someone's feathers are ruffled," said Meg, "I'm kidding. Thank you guys."

"What's next for you guys?" asked Hercules.

"Well, you know," said Sora, teasing them, "You two _lovebirds_ seem to be doing just fine without us around."

"We gotta go," said Donald.

"Before we meddle again," said Goofy.

"Right," finished Sora.

"Take care guys," said Takuya.

"Are you turkeys trying to put me out of a job!" said Phil, walking up to them, "If you keep acing every challenge Champ, who am I gonna train!"

"Aw Phil, you can't quit on me now," said Hercules, his spirits even higher than they were when they first met, "I've got bring my all if Hades returns, and I can't do that without your help."

"Hey! Are we True Heroes yet?" asked Donald, getting in his face, with Sora right next to him.

"Yeah! How 'bout it?" asked Sora.

Phil looked at them seriously, taking in their physical expressions, as well as hidden ones, behind their eyes.

"Let me see now," said Phil, reaching a decision, "You're not wise enough, not experienced enough."

"Okay, okay!" said Sora, "We get it. We're not ready."

"Look kid," said Phil, "It's not really up to me."

"Aw phooey," said Donald.

"Course, if it was," continued Phil, "I'd make you heroes in a heartbeat."

"Really!" said Sora, looks of hope on his and Donald's face.

"Then again," said Phil, "If those are your 'hero' faces, you still got a lot to work on."

Just then, everyone looked up to see Zeus bringing together two constellations: one with Sora, Donald, and Goofy; the other, Takuya back-to-back with Flamon.

"No way," said Takuya.

"Way," said Phil, "You've earned your hero wings. Your heart is in the right place. And at the rate that kid is going, he'll find it too."

"Knowing Sora," said Takuya, "He'll find it sooner than he thinks."

"Now, get on out of here," said Phil, "You need to get back your world and return to the one you care about most."

"Right," said Takuya, fighting a small blush appearing on his cheeks.

They gave their final farewells and returned to the Gummy Ship.

(Chapter End)

Wow, that turned out to be longer than I thought.

Dx: But shorter than it probably could be, right?

RDF1: Yep. But these revisiting the worlds can really throw off how long a chapter can be.

Oh well, time for Character Bios.

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master

Status: Junior Hero

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, and Wind

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon

Status: True Hero

* * *

Name: Hercules

Occupation: Hero of his world, Son of Zeus

Weapons of choice: his mind, his strength, and his sword

Status: True Hero

Okay, sorry for the short one, but all the bios from before still apply, for the most part.

AN1: Don't know the gender for the Dragon, so I'm just going with a 'he'. Don't mean to offend, just the first thing I came up with.

AN2: In Anti-Form, Sora doesn't remember what happens in the beginning, but as he uses it more, he gains more awareness as time goes on.

AN3: This goes back to the teaser trailer for Lilo and Stitch, the one with Beauty and the Beast. It was funny.

AN4: Well, he's a Guardian. He's not REALLY a hero, but he's no Villain. That much I can tell.

AN5: Don't know what's that called, but it the description I'm going for.

AN6: This is a way for Takuya to find out about Hades plan without actually being with Sora's group. Also, he didn't know he could do that, he just hoped it would work, which it did.

AN7: I liked that little bit with Pain and Panic. They aren't dull in the least. Also, with what happened the last time, had to have Takuya in the fight. Besides, Hercules is REALLY powered down in this series, so I thought I'd give something back to him.

Okay, I believe that's all. Hope you enjoy this. And Review please!

Later,

RDF1


	8. Old places, New Experiences 2

And here we are again, visiting more old worlds. Don't worry; we're getting to another three worlds this time. After that, we'll do two more worlds, and then have Atlantica all in one chapter. We'll see after that. But first, we need a disclaimer.

Dx: Why? Everyone already knows you don't own anything other than the idea.

RDF1: Well, thanks for that. Now the Disclaimer can only do one thing.

Dx: What's that?

Disclaimer: This: BOOT TO THE HEAD!

Disclaimer boots DragonX in the head for stealing Disclaimer's line.

Disclaimer: RDF1 only owns his OCs and whatever else he has already mentioned. Boot to the head belongs to the Frantics.

Dx: I'm gonna feel this in the morning.

One more thing: I'm switching Fatal Crest with Guardian Soul for Valor, since these two are practically required. I say that, because visiting the Underworld after the second time is mainly Tournaments and I didn't see Pacey8444 go back there. Oh well, I still got plenty of Keyblades to work with.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

"_Before I forget," said Auron, turning back to them, "I think this might serve you better than it did me."_

_Auron brought out the statue that contained his free will and gave it to Sora. The statue glowed and turned into the Guardian Soul Keyblade._

"_Wow," said Sora, looking it over, "Thank you, Auron."_

"_It's a way for us to stay connected," replied Auron, "Even if we're separated. Use it when you're in need of a Guardian. I'm sure it'll come in handy."_

_After that, Auron headed back down into the Underworld, considering it was where he belonged after losing his life. Sora and the others headed back upstairs to the Olympus Coliseum to see Hercules and his friends one last time._

"_Thanks again guys," said Hercules as they approached them, "You're the best."_

"_Excuse us for meddling," said Donald, upset at what Auron said._

"_Looks like someone's feathers are ruffled," said Meg, "I'm kidding. Thank you guys."_

"_What's next for you guys?" asked Hercules._

"_Well, you know," said Sora, teasing them, "You two __**lovebirds**__ seem to be doing just fine without us around."_

"_We gotta go," said Donald._

"_Before we meddle again," said Goofy._

"_Right," finished Sora._

"_Take care guys," said Takuya._

"_Are you turkeys trying to put me out of a job!" said Phil, walking up to them, "If you keep acing every challenge Champ, who am I gonna train!"_

"_Aw Phil, you can't quit on me now," said Hercules, his spirits even higher than they were when they first met, "I've got bring my all if Hades returns, and I can't do that without your help."_

"_Hey! Are we True Heroes yet?" asked Donald, getting in his face, with Sora right next to him._

"_Yeah! How 'bout it?" asked Sora._

_Phil looked at them seriously, taking in their physical expressions, as well as hidden ones, behind their eyes._

"_Let me see now," said Phil, reaching a decision, "You're not wise enough, not experienced enough."_

"_Okay, okay!" said Sora, "We get it. We're not ready."_

"_Look kid," said Phil, "It's not really up to me."_

"_Aw phooey," said Donald._

"_Course, if it was," continued Phil, "I'd make you heroes in a heartbeat."_

"_Really!" said Sora, looks of hope on his and Donald's face._

"_Then again," said Phil, "If those are your 'hero' faces, you still got a lot to work on."_

_Just then, everyone looked up to see Zeus bringing together two constellations: one with Sora, Donald, and Goofy; the other, Takuya back-to-back with Flamon._

"_No way," said Takuya._

"_Way," said Phil, "You've earned your hero wings. Your heart is in the right place. And at the rate that kid is going, he'll find it too."_

"_Knowing Sora," said Takuya, "He'll find it sooner than he thinks."_

"_Now, get on out of here," said Phil, "You need to get back your world and return to the one you care about most."_

"_Right," said Takuya, fighting a small blush appearing on his cheeks._

_They gave their final farewells and returned to the Gummy Ship._

(Recap End)

On their way to the next world, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were taking a nap while Takuya piloted the Gummy Ship. He couldn't get out of his head the complexity of how this would turn out. After learning about Roxas, Xion, and Namine, he wanted to do everything he could to make sure those three could live their own lives. They had the right after all, being connected to Sora as they are. He thought about the Summoning Charms that Sora had, and how they were able to summon even from another world. Maybe, with Merlin's help, he could create a Summoning Charm that reached within Sora to summon out Roxas and Xion. Namine would be just as difficult when she rejoins with Kairi. The only thing is, the charms would need to be one-time and permanent in use. That might just require Yen Sid's help.

(AN1)

Reaching a decision, Takuya accessed the phone line within the Gummy Ship; something only used by Chip and Dale before now for whatever reason, and called up Merlin's house in Hollow Bastion.

"Well," said Cid, who answered, "Look who it is. Everything alright, Takuya?"

"Yeah," said Takuya, taking a glance at Sora sleeping in his chair, "Say, is Merlin there?"

"I'm right here, Takuya," said Merlin, walking into view of the screen, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Not really a problem," said Takuya, "More like a challenge."

"And what might that be?" asked Merlin.

"I need a Summoning Charm made," said Takuya, "But this one is different. It has to be a permanent summon, but only at a one-time use."

"And who, my dear boy, are you trying to summon out and about?" asked Merlin.

"I can't tell you yet," said Takuya, seeing Sora and the others beginning to stir, "But the next time we're there, I'll tell you in person."

"Alright," said Merlin, "I'll be awaiting your return."

Takuya hung up before Sora and the others woke up fully.

"Takuya, you okay?" asked Sora, stretching.

"I'll be fine," said Takuya, "Right now we need to make sure everyone else is first."

* * *

(Port Royal)

When they landed in Port Royal, almost immediately they heard the sounds of swords clashing and their thoughts immediately when to Jack, Will, and Elisabeth. They headed down to the Harbor to find Jack facing of against a few pirates, these being cursed by the Aztec Treasure, which confused them.

"Jack!" called out Sora.

"Zola! Yutaka!" shouted back Jack, in a hurry and didn't bother getting their names right, "Some assistance."

(AN2)

"That's SORA, TAKUYA, DONALD, AND GOOFY!" replied Sora, getting frustrated with him already.

"Will you leave a mate to parish?" countered Jack, knowing that Sora wouldn't just let him die.

"Aye, aye," groaned Sora, as he prepared to battle nonetheless.

"We're on it," sighed Takuya, changing into Flamon.

After a quick battle in rescuing Jack, Sora and the others noticed that the Aztec treasure, given their skeletal forms, cursed the Pirates.

"Those Pirates were cursed," said Sora, "I thought the Treasure was locked up on Isle de Muerta?"

"Some scallywag must have gotten greedy," replied Jack.

Takuya thought about it while Sora and the others turned to Jack.

"Oh," said Jack, knowing what they are thinking, "You think it was me? So much for trust between shipmates."

"Well," said Takuya, "You ARE the only Pirate with direct access to the Island."

"Then why am I not cursed with the rest of the lot then?" countered Jack.

"He's got a point," said Sora.

"Jack! Sora!" shouted Elizabeth, who was arriving at the port from her mansion.

"It's Elizabeth!" said Sora.

'Something's up,' thought Jack, knowing that Elizabeth wouldn't want to leave Will's side unless he had to leave port.

(AN3)

"Jack," said Elizabeth, before Jack could make his leave, "I need your help. Will went to Isle de Muerta to find out about the Treasure. I think something's happened to him. Please, take me there."

"If you be wanting to rescue Will, you best be doing it alone, love," said Jack, "I see no profit in it for me."

"You'd let me go alone," said Elizabeth, indignant at Jack, "Facing off against who knows what other than Pirates?"

"Will can take care of himself," said Takuya, "What makes you think he's in danger?"

"I know that, but it's just a feeling," said Elizabeth, "Besides, he's been gone too long. I'm not going to sit by and wait any longer."

"Again, I ask: What profit is in it for me?" asked Jack.

"Will saved your life," replied Elizabeth, "According to the Pirates Code, you owe him. Your profit: debt free."

"Sound likes a winner to me," said Jack, though with a hint of sarcasm.

So, the six of them boarded the _Black Pearl_ and set out to sea.

* * *

On the way to Isle de Muerta, they got ambushed by more pirates as well as Heartless. After defeating them, Goofy spotted the _Interceptor_ of the Starboard Bow. After getting Will back to the _Black Pearl_, Elizabeth attended to him until he woke up.

"Elizabeth," said Will, glad, yet surprised, to see her.

"What happened?" asked Elizabeth.

"Commodore Norrington and I, along with a crew, went to Isle de Muerta to check on the treasure. When we got there, the medallions, as well as the chest, were missing. Then, on our way back to report, a man in a black cloak attacked us. He captured the others and sent them back to Port Royal. I was the only one who didn't get captured, but a Heartless, the likes of which I've never seen before attacked the ship and set it adrift, with me on it."

"You five better be careful. This Heartless sounds powerful," warned Elizabeth.

"It's the Nobody controlling that Heartless who we should really worry about," said Takuya, "He's the one behind all of this."

"Hold on there," said Jack, "I helped you find Will, so my debt's been paid. However, I don't think Monsters were in the description of this voyage. So, this Captain is setting off to home for you two."

So, Jack headed on up to the deck, with everyone but Will and Elizabeth following. When Jack opened the door, he saw the chest right there in the middle of the deck. He had an idea of who did it.

"I don't remember inviting you," called out Jack.

A man in a black cloak appeared out of a portal of darkness.

"Looks like our business just keeps showing up," said Sora, summoning the Kingdom Key.

However, the man held out a hand, staying Sora and the others for the moment.

"The Darkness of men's hearts," said the man, "drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless – a veritable maelstrom of avarice: I wonder, are they worthy of serving Organization XIII?"

"So, they send the card dealer, huh?" asked Takuya, recognizing the voice.

"I prefer: The Gambler of Fate," said Luxord, the Gambler of Fate, disappearing in a dark portal.

Sora merged with Donald and Goofy into Master Form and combined with Jack in a Limit Breaker to defeat the Heartless, sending it into the sea. Sora reverted afterwards. Luxord reappeared.

"It's not over yet," said Sora.

"I've got him," said Takuya, Spirit Evolving into Agunimon and leaping at Luxord.

"PARLEY!" shouted Luxord, stopping Agunimon in his tracks.

"You are so lucky," whispered Agunimon, landing in front of Luxord without harming him.

"Barley?" asked Goofy.

"It's part of the Pirates' Code," said Jack, "Though I'm surprised you know about it."

"I studied up a bit, gambling it in my favor," said Luxord.

"What is Parley?" asked Donald, as Agunimon returned to the group.

"It's part of the Pirates Code. It's to ensure negotiations are done safely without harm to those involved."

"Oh come on," said Sora, "We don't have time for rules."

Agunimon placed his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"You forget; we can't meddle directly in the affairs of the world. Parley is a part of this world's affairs and we can't do anything until Jack gives the word."

"Alright you," said Jack, stepping forward, "Out with it!"

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies," started Luxord.

"How kind of you," replied Jack, "What do you want in return?"

"Just a few tokens, to remember my time here," said Luxord, taking four medallions out of the chest and tossing them into the air.

Four Nobodies appeared and collected a medallion and headed for different directions on the sea.

"Our friend is about to find out what happens when you cross a pirate," said Jack, as he and his 'crew' got ready to battle Luxord.

However, the Heartless from before appeared out of the water, looking more powerful than before, and blew the five of them over to then _Interceptor_, which Luxord fired upon with the _Black Pearl's_ own cannons, taking it out of commission.

* * *

Takuya opened his eyes, feeling sore all over. He slowly got up, stretching what he could and took a survey of the area. Jack was already up with Sora and the others soon following.

"You stole a medallion again?" asked Sora, trying to avoid accusation from entering his voice.

"If it were only that," said Jack, as he took in his appearance.

"So, what's up with the skeleton show?" asked Goofy.

"Maybe I picked something up from that monster of his," said Jack, referring to the Heartless and Luxord respectively, "Yet, why are you four still flesh and blood?"

"Because WE'RE not greedy," said Donald.

Takuya walked over while Sora and Donald just gave him a look and cuffed Donald over the head.

"What was that for?" asked Donald, indignantly.

"Stop telling blatant lies like they're going out of style," said Takuya, who, although only knew Donald for a few short weeks, was already getting annoyed by him.

"Still doesn't explain Jack," said Sora.

Jack walked under the cover of the rock and turned back into his flesh and blood form, but no blood to speak of. Takuya noticed something in the newly uncovered portion of the rubble and went to get it.

"Gawrsh," said Goofy, "Maybe we're not affected because we're not from this world."

"Different application of laws," said Donald, understanding where Goofy was going.

"We never really stay in one place for very long," commented Sora, remembering their adventures, "We're always just passing through. Wonder when we'll see home again?"

"For someone who wanted to get away from home, you sure are in a hurry to get back there," said Takuya, as he rummaged through the rubble.

"I'm kidding, Takuya," said Sora, in an attempt to change subjects, "Glad we're not cursed."

"Enough, mates," said Jack, "We need to find ourselves a seaworthy vessel."

"Got it," said Takuya, pulling out the Feather Charm from the rubble.

"Another Charm?" asked Sora.

"Yep, and I think this one might just be an old friend of yours," said Takuya.

(AN4)

"Okay," said Sora, taking the charm and putting it with the others, "Let's get out of here."

They left the wreckage, only to find more Heartless and Cursed Pirates in the way. Battling through them they made it out of the cave and out to an open area. Donald spotted a Nobody that had a medallion.

"Get that Medallion!" ordered Captain Jack Sparrow.

Takuya turned into Flamon and got behind the Nobody, preventing from running away. Donald used a Thunder spell to paralyze it while Goofy threw his shield and knocked the medallion out of the Nobody's hand. Flamon caught it while Sora and Jack ran forward and with a double slice, the Nobody was defeated before it knew what was going on.

"One down, three to go," said Jack as Flamon handed the medallion over to Sora.

"How do you know?" asked Sora.

"A pirate needs to keep a sharp eye," replied Jack, "Lest he loses it and more."

"What's that?" asked Donald.

The five of them turned to see a ship approaching in the distance. As the ship arrived, it was revealed to be the _Black Pearl_, sailed by Will and Elizabeth. As they went up to a level that matched the deck, Elizabeth called out:

"Ahoy mateys!"

"That imitation was ridiculous," said Jack, "But nonetheless, I feel flattered all the same."

The five of them got on board and the _Black Pearl_ left the ship graveyard.

* * *

While on board the _Pearl_, the others were explaining the situation to Will and Elizabeth; however, Takuya walked over to the starboard side of the ship and looked out on the horizon. He looked up at the moon before he felt images entering his mind.

(Vision)

_A large shadowed figure flew above Takuya at high speeds, seemingly defying it's own gravitational laws._

(Vision End)

(AN5)

'What was that?' wondered Takuya, as he blinked to try and rid himself of the image.

"Hey," said Sora, walking over, "What's up?"

"Huh?" said Takuya, slightly startled by Sora's sudden appearance, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine."

"You sure?" asked Sora, "You seemed out of it for a second there."

'Not as oblivious as Riku tried to make him seem,' thought Takuya, before responding, "I'll be fine. It's nothing to worry about. Let's just get those other Medallions. I think there might be more in the Graveyard that we missed."

"Alright, I'll tell Jack, let's go," said Sora, before heading over to Captain Jack Sparrow.

'I have to keep them out of it if it's a Digital World related problem,' thought Takuya, as he headed back to shore to meet the others.

They headed back and sure enough, another Nobody was there trying to escape. Flamon got around it and wrapped it up with his tail, allowing Sora to slice through it with the Kingdom Key easily. They got the second Medallion and head back inside the cave for the third. However, since the Pirates were still there, Sora tried going Valor, only to turn into Anti-Form again.

'What's going on?' thought Sora, still being able to see and hear, but unable to move his body. He could only watch as Anti-Sora tried to take out everyone that got in his way, unfortunately that meant another bout with Flamon while the other three got the third Medallion.

"Not again," whined Sora after the drive ran out.

"Again," said Flamon, "You really need to get control of that form it you're ever going get stronger."

"I'll worry about it later," said Sora, turning back to the ship, "Let's get that last medallion."

'That's right Sora,' thought Takuya, 'Worry about your own problems so you won't have time to worry about mine.

(Vision)

_The figure, while still shadowed, was closer now, shooting green flames from his mouth. Agunimon was forced to dodge if he didn't want to get roasted._

(Vision end)

Takuya pushed the vision to the back of his mind and headed back to the _Pearl_.

* * *

While they were heading to Isle de Muerta, an ambush of Pirates and Heartless were upon them. Will join in with what skill he could muster, giving them an easier time to getting rid of the trespassers by the time they got to the Isle. When they landed, they saw the purple sphere with daggers in it. After facing off against Marluxia and Zexion, Sora had an idea about what the spheres were for, but couldn't remember who he had faced in the past.

(AN6)

"I'm going in," said Sora.

"Are you sure?" asked Takuya, "You have no idea who you will face in there."

"I'll don't know unless I try," replied Sora, as he, Donald, and Goofy entered the sphere.

With the three of them gone, Takuya could finally turn his thoughts towards what he saw. If it was a Digimon, than it was one he had never seen before. However, throughout his adventures, he did see some parts of the Digimon similar to other Digimon he had seen. However, until he saw the thing in person, he wouldn't be able to figure out what that Digimon was.

"Something troubling you mate?" asked Jack.

"Just thinking about something," said Takuya, "Nothing for you to worry about, Jack."

Soon enough, Sora and the others returned, having battled Larxene.

"Everything alright?" asked Takuya, seeing a far-off look on Sora's face.

"Something she said," said Sora, "Something about 'betraying the one you care about for a witch'? What did she mean by that?"

Takuya looked angry by that comment, thinking, 'If I had known she would stoop that low, I'd've killed her myself. Namine isn't a witch.'

"She's just trying to mess with your head," said Takuya, "Like you would ever do that."

"Right," said Sora, though doubt was hinted in his voice.

'He may have forgotten his time in Castle Oblivion, but it's starting to affect him since he's facing all his old enemies from there,' thought Takuya, remembering what Namine, Riku, and King Mickey told him about what happened there.

(AN7)

They headed on inside, and seeing the Nobody, quickly took it down with a combined attack.

* * *

"That's four medallions," said Sora, now that everyone was back on the _Black Pearl_, "We got them all."

"But what about the Chest?" asked Jack.

"Luxord took it," said Will, "We find him, the chest won't be far away."

"Then we need to find him and fast," said Takuya.

"He's probably in Port Royal," said Sora, remembering what Luxord said earlier.

"Why's that?" wondered Elizabeth.

"He said 'The Darkness of Men's Hearts, drawn to these Cursed Medallions.' He's going to use the curse of the Medallions to turn the people of Port Royal into Heartless," explained Sora.

"I'll go on ahead with the Medallions," said Takuya, evolving into Aldamon, "You better get there fast."

Aldamon took the medallions and headed as fast as he could towards Pearl Harbor.

* * *

When Aldamon arrived, the Heartless was scaring the townsfolk.

"HEY!" said Aldamon, charging power into his hands, "Try scaring someone who can fight back! SOLAR WIND DESTROYER!"

The attack did nothing to the Heartless, other than get its attention.

"That's it," said Aldamon, moving away from the Heartless, returning to Port.

When he got there, the others were just arriving. The Heartless moved its attention to them, allowing Aldamon to find the chest and return the medallions, forcing the Heartless to revert to normal. However, Jack still remained as skeletal as ever.

"What's this then?" asked Jack.

"It's the Heartless," said Aldamon, putting the lid on the chest, "As long as it's alive, Jack will remain cursed. I'll protect the Medallions; you defeat the Heartless."

(AN8)

While Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack were battling the Heartless, Aldamon lifted the Chest with all his might and moved away from the battlefield. Using a Combination of Limit form and Limit breaker, Sora and Jack were able to defeat the Heartless, Jack returning to normal upon its collapse.

"All better," said Sora, as Jack smiled at being flesh AND blood again.

"Not just yet, mate," said Jack, turning to Luxord, who was collecting the Heart.

"Sora," said Luxord, before summoning a portal of darkness to escape with, "Bravo. Keep up the good work."

Aldamon landed on the _Black Pearl_ and set the chest down before rejoining the others.

"That was exhausting," said Takuya, catching his breath from lifting something so heavy.

"Who was that chap?" asked Jack.

"Luxord, Gambler of Fate," said Takuya, remembering what he studied on the Organization before Sora woke up, "Number X in the Organization lineup."

"They release the Heartless into the worlds," continued Sora, "We defeat the Heartless, leaving the Hearts for them to take. We can't beat them like this."

"So," said Jack, "What's the plan?"

"We need to find their stronghold and take them out on their own turf," said Takuya.

"Anything we can do to help?" asked Elizabeth as she and Will returned from helping out the townsfolk.

"There is one thing," said Jack, eyeing the chest on his ship.

So, the seven of them sailed out to sea and sent the chest overboard, hoping the curse would never return to the surface ever again.

(AN9)

"We don't need the Organization around," said Jack, "They'll ruin everything for us TRUE Pirates."

"Is that all you went to Port Royal for?" asked Elizabeth.

"A Pirate always looks to profit, even if it IS personal," replied Jack, "And that, my dear, was more personal than you can imagine."

"You almost had us, wanting to help everyone else out," said Sora, "Turning over a new leaf and everything."

"It's beyond the leaf what you have to look out for," replied Jack, in his ever-witty tone of voice.

"That's right, a reward," said Elizabeth, "Name your price."

"That lovely blade of Sora's, or that D-Tector of Takuya's," said Jack, "To think I could change into a Digimon would be nice."

"Sorry," said Takuya, "Only works for someone who's made of Data, and I'm the only one who has data running through his body."

"I'll settle for the blade then," said Jack.

"Alright," said Sora, summoning the Kingdom Key, "here you go."

"Hold on now," said Jack, suddenly suspicious, "That was far too easy. What's the rub?"

Sora gave Jack the Keyblade and after a few seconds, it returned to Sora's hand, where it belongs.

"There," said Jack, not surprised by Sora's trickery, "That's what I call loyal."

"You've always got the _Pearl_, Jack," said Sora.

"That I do," said Jack, "But someday, I'll have gathered myself a bloodthirsty crew to retrieve that blade. Chance by then, I'll have a way to wield it. Should I succeed, I'll have you two join my crew. That'd be reward enough."

"Done," said Elizabeth, surprising Will slightly.

(AN10)

"Ya'know," said Goofy, "Jack may be able to wield that Keyblade someday."

"How do you figure that?" asked Donald.

"He and Sora are kind of alike," remarked Goofy.

"Are not!" said Jack and Sora at the same time, before looking at each other.

All of them laughed at that and returned to Port Royal to drop off Will and Elizabeth. After Jack left, Will and Elizabeth spoke highly of him.

"Some say Jack Sparrow is one of the worst Pirates to ever sail the Spanish Main," said Will.

"No one could really mean that," added Elizabeth.

"That's right," finished Will, "because we know he's one of the best."

"I hope we get to see him again," said Sora.

"Oh," said Takuya, "I think the wind would be in favor of that."

(AN11)

* * *

When they got back to the ship, they received a call from Chip and Dale.

"It's that weird reading we were getting before. I knew it wasn't a glitch," said Chip.

"What's this now?" asked Sora.

(AN12)

"It's a signal we received before. We thought it was a glitch before, but the signal just showed up again, stronger. It's still to fuzzy to fully track down right now," informed Dale.

"We do know one thing," said Chip.

"What's that?" asked Takuya.

"This signal keeps getting stronger the more Sora helps out people," answered Chip.

"Well," said Sora, "Looks like I've still got some more people to help if it strengthens the signal for you to trace."

They looked outside the ship and saw that the pathways to Agrabah and Halloween Town were open again; however, the Pride Lands were still blocked off for some reason.

"Let's get going," said Takuya, taking control of the ship and headed for Agrabah, "We won't be able to help anyone staying here."

"Right," agreed Sora, returning to his seat.

* * *

(Agrabah)

When the four of them landed in Agrabah, they landed right inside the Peddler's Shop, which had changed greatly in the time since their last visit.

"Wow," said Goofy.

"Looks like you made out like a bandit," said Sora.

"Oh please," said the merchant, "I am nothing but an honest merchant. What you see is merely the result for my hard work."

"Uh huh," said Takuya, doubt in his voice, "I see."

"They sure are nice," said Goofy.

"And on sale," said the merchant, "You buy?"

"No thanks," said Sora, "We're looking for a guy in a black cloak. Someone from Organization XIII, have you seen anyone like that?"

"Me? Most certainly not," replied the Merchant.

"Thanks," said Sora, "We'll keep looking."

"Now," said the merchant, "If you'll excuse me, I need to check on something in the back."

"Go ahead," said Takuya.

Just after the merchant left, Aladdin came rushing in.

"Sora, Takuya!" shouted Aladdin, "Don't let that peddler get away!"

"Why?" asked Sora, as they turned around.

"That stupid peddler let Jafar out of the lamp, and already used up one of his wishes," said Aladdin.

"JAFAR!" shouted Sora, Donald, and Goofy, remembering what Jafar put them trough over a year ago.

"Oh great," said Takuya, slapping his forehead, "Let me guess, we're gonna need a way to battle a cosmic-phenomenal powered Genie, right?"

"Yeah," said Aladdin, "And Iago is going to help us by telling us everything that happened."

"I already told you everything I know," responded Iago, taking refuse on Takuya's shoulder, who was the only one who didn't hate him at the time.

"This is your one chance, Iago," said Aladdin, "If I find out later that you've been lying, or hiding something from us, we're through. You'll be banished from the castle all over again."

"OKAY! OKAY!" shouted Iago, not wanting to leave the palace at this point, "I know where Jafar is."

(AN13)

"Where is he?" asked Donald.

"I… I really shouldn't," said Iago, falling back into his old ways a bit.

"Iago…" warned Aladdin.

"Hey!" said Takuya, finally intervening, "He's been through enough. Let him have time to explain."

"You're defending him?" asked Sora, shocked at Takuya.

"Let's just say 'I know what he's going through'," said Takuya, before turning to Iago, "Now, Iago, where did you see Jafar go."

"He's in the desert ruins," said Iago, calmer now that Takuya was on his side again.

(AN14)

Suddenly, a purple sphere, much like the ones from before, appeared out of nowhere. This one had the symbol of a spiked shield on it.

"Another one?" asked Sora.

"What is that?" asked Aladdin.

"Go on," said Takuya, "I'll fill in Aladdin."

"Right," said Sora, as he, Donald, and Goofy disappeared into the sphere.

"So, what's up?" asked Aladdin.

"These spheres are remnants of the other Organization Members that were already defeated," explained Takuya, remember what he was told from Mickey and Riku, "There's only a few left, from what I've gathered. Other than that, there are only the Organization members left at the stronghold. That's what we're trying to find."

"Alright," said Aladdin, "I'll check in the Bazaar with my contacts, meet up with me there later."

"Right," said Takuya.

Sora and the others returned shortly after Aladdin left.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Takuya.

"It was weird," said Sora, "He kept summoning copies of me in my Anti-form. Not to mention what he said at the end. 'You have grown stronger since Castle Oblivion' is what I think he said."

'Oh crap,' thought Takuya, 'If he goes back there now, he'll only find sadness. I've gotta keep him focused on the Organization for now.'

"Hey," said Takuya, "I thought we had a maniacal, revenge-bound, cosmic-phenomenal genie to find."

"That's right," said Sora, remember Jafar, "Let's go."

So, they headed out into the Bazaar towards the city gates.

"Where's Aladdin?" asked Sora.

"He went on ahead," said Takuya, "He'll meet up with us at the gates."

When they got to the Bazaar, Heartless appeared, and thanks to a timely arrival from Aladdin, Sora and him were able to pull off another Limit Breaker to deal with the Heartless before heading outside the city. Aladdin turned to Takuya and informed him that no one was able to help him.

"It's alright," replied Takuya, "You tried. That's all I could ask, right?"

Everyone turned their attention to the ruins that were covered by a sandstorm.

"Oh my," said Iago, sarcasm hinting in his voice, "What a disaster! Guess we have to turn back."

"Iago," sighed Takuya quietly.

"There is a way, I know it," said Aladdin.

"Oh please," said Genie, popping in from the sky, "Isn't that why you have a Genie for a best friend?"

"We just need the Sandstorm gone, Genie," said Takuya, "It's not like we're facing off against Jafar right here, right now."

"I know," said Genie, "But you shouldn't keep me on the sidelines like this. I owe him just as much as you guys, minus Takuya."

Genie did a little magic and the Sandstorm was gone in a few seconds.

"I need a challenge next time Al," said Genie, disappearing again, "Call me up when you find Jafar. I'll show him a thing or two about being a Genie!"

When they got to the desert ruins, they didn't see anything there at first, but it was a long way down, except for Takuya, who was the only one who could grow wings.

"How do we get down there?" asked Sora.

The answer arrived with Carpet, as he flew in from the city.

"Nice timing Carpet," said Sora, as the four of them hopped on.

"EXECUTE!" shouted Takuya, "Beast Spirit Evolution!"

Takuya Beast Spirit-Evolved and they flew after Jafar's shadow, which had appeared in a semi-transparent state. After following him through the ruins, the shadow disappeared into a building. They landed on the roof to check out the lock. There were three switches they needed to activate with a Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spell for the door to open.

"You guys get the switches," said BurningGreymon, turning back into Takuya, before changing into Flamon, "I'll head in first to surprise Jafar. He doesn't know me, and that should give me some advantage."

"Are you sure, Takuya?" asked Sora.

"I'll be fine," said Flamon, scaling down the wall and stopped next to the doorway.

Flamon didn't have to wait long for the doorway to open. He went inside, only to find nothing there.

"Oh great," said Takuya, reverting back, "More defending Iago now. Hope he appreciates it."

When the others arrived, after finding more of pages to Pooh's book.

"Where is he?" asked Aladdin, before turning to Takuya, "Where did he go?"

"He was here for all of a second when I arrived," lied Takuya, "I didn't hear anything either."

"Iago, where's Jafar?" said Aladdin.

"He's at the palace," admitted Iago, sadly, "He told me I had to bring you here. There was nothing I could do!"

"You little worm!" said Aladdin.

"You were playing both sides, just to save your own hide!" added Sora.

"Now hold on here!" said Takuya, getting in front of Iago.

"What's with you and defending him, Takuya?" demanded Sora, "If you knew the things he did, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near him!"

"That's why I have to protect him," said Takuya, glancing at Iago for a moment before returning to the others, "I kind of get why he's doing this. I know what he's doing, but I also know he isn't to blame for all of this."

"And how would you know that?" asked Sora, slightly calmer now.

"On my world, I have a friend who's going through something like this," said Takuya, "He gets bullied into doing things he doesn't want to, and he can't get out of it because he too young to understand how to stand up for himself."

(AN15)

Takuya turned and picked up Iago and started for the door.

"I'm going after Jafar," said Takuya, pulling out his D-Tector, "Anyone interested in stopping him is welcome to join me."

Takuya Fusion-Evolved into Aldamon and flew off towards the city.

"He's right," said Sora, realizing what heels they've been, "We should've given Iago the benefit of the doubt."

"He didn't seem regretful last year, or any years previously," said Aladdin, "But Takuya's right. We need to help Iago face Jafar. Let's go!"

The others got on Carpet and headed out, avoiding as best they could the falling rubble.

* * *

Aldamon flew over the city and landed in the courtyard before the palace gates. He saw Jasmine chained up by an older man in dark clothing with a cape and a turban.

"Let me guess," said Aldamon, "You're Jafar, the Genie wannabe."

"I'm no wannabe," said Jafar, turning around.

"I'm the real thing!"

Jafar shot a spell at Aldamon, only for him to dodge it. Unfortunately, the others showed up and the spell was heading straight for Aladdin. Iago flew with all of his might and got in front of Al just before the spell hit, causing Iago to fall down, badly injured.

"IAGO!" shouted Aladdin and Sora.

"Don't worry about him," said Jafar, turning into his genie form, "You're going to join him soon enough."

"I don't think so!" shouted Aldamon, "Atomic Inferno!"

However, Jafar just redirected the attack to destroy a tower of the palace, causing it to fall in Sora and Aladdin's direction. Fortunately, Carpet flew by rescued them both out of harms way and Sora flew up on Carpet to face Jafar. Aldamon joined him.

"I think it's time we did a Limit Break of our own," said Aldamon.

"You think we can pull it off?" asked Sora.

"No way to know for sure unless we try," said Aldamon moving in front of Sora, "Summon Genie. He'd want in on this."

"Right," said Sora, pulling out the Lamp Charm and focused his power into it, "GENIE!"

Genie appeared instantly.

"Sweet," said Genie, glad that he didn't miss a thing as he raced there, "I'm ready for action."

"Genie, get ready," said Aldamon, "I'm gonna need you to distract Jafar while Sora and pull off a Limit Break."

"Got it," said Genie, "Time to show him who he's dealing with!"

Genie grew to match the size of Jafar and engaged in a battle of magic with him.

"Alright," said Sora, "Let's go!"

Aldamon focused power into his shields, as if to unleash another Atomic Inferno, but Sora increased their power with a Fira Spell on each shield. The shields split open, allowing more power to be stored in them. Aldamon smirked as prepared his attack.

"GENIE! NOW!" shouted Aldamon.

"Right!" replied Genie, teleporting himself behind Sora and focused his magic into Aldamon, increasing his power even more.

"Let's see you handle this!" shouted Aldamon, "ATOMIC – SOLAR WIND DESTROYER – INFERNO!"

Aldamon let loose a half-dozen gigantic fireballs as Jafar, stunning him for a second after taking the consecutive hits, allowing Sora to move forward on Carpet with Aldamon behind him. While Jafar was stunned, Sora sliced through him with the Kingdom Key, followed by a double strike from Aldamon with his shields, now back to normal again.

"How could I lose, again, to mere street rats!" shouted Jafar.

"Don't mess with street rats!" replied Sora, on Carpet, before heading back to the ground.

Aldamon landed next to the lamp as Jafar was forcibly returned to it. He held it in his hand and incinerated it with his power of fire.

"Now THAT'S what I call 'fire for the ages!'" said Genie, "That was some Limit Break you guys pulled off."

"Hey, it was thanks to you I got so many shots in, Genie," said Takuya, having reverted back to normal, "Don't sell yourself short."

"Aw thanks," said Genie, slightly blushing, "Now, what's next?"

"Well," said Sora, "There's still Agrabah that needs fixing."

"You've got it!" said Genie, "Time to liven up this place, if you know what I mean."

(AN16)

"Just put it the way it was," said Aladdin.

"Really? Same old, same old?" asked Genie, disappointed.

Aladdin and Sora nodded. Genie looked over at Takuya, who smirked and gave a small chuckle, knowing as well Genie does that Agrabah isn't as modern as some places in the world.

"Alright," said Genie, before separating himself into a few hundred copies of himself and everyone started to work immediately rebuilding one area or another of the destroyed part of the city.

"Next time," said Genie, reappearing and leaving a sphere of magic behind, "Let me put in a swimming pool, or even a freeway."

Genie disappeared back to where he was currently living.

* * *

After freeing Jasmine, everyone met back in the Bazaar.

"Looks like Agrabah's back to normal," said Sora.

"Thanks to you guys," said Aladdin.

"And Iago," said Sora, turning to him, "Make sure you behave yourself."

"Of course," said Iago, "You're looking at a new parrot. No more looking out for number one. I'm a Team Player from here on out, through and through. I want to help out like Genie does, being a good friend and all, but I don't know what I can do to help you guys. What kind of friend doesn't help their friend?"

"It doesn't work like that Iago," said Sora, "It's not about keeping count, or what you can do for each other; it's about spending time together."

"Not to mention having fun while hanging out," added Takuya.

"What do you guys do for fun?" asked Aladdin.

"We do THIS!" said Donald, as he and Goofy put on silly faces.

"Not what I meant," said Aladdin, slightly put off by their antics.

"Anyways," said Sora, changing the subject to something less awkward.

"Ow, my beak," said Iago, rubbing it with one wing.

Takuya allowed Iago to land a moment so he could concentrate on numbing the pain a bit.

"You alright?" asked Takuya.

"Well, I'm just glad there's one thing Jafar can no longer do, since becoming a Genie," said Iago.

"What's that?" asked Sora.

"Genies can't kill anyone," said Iago, "But you'd be surprised what you can live through."

"That's right," said Genie, "We genies are powerful, but not killers. I'm glad they added that to the rules of Genies' limitations when they first wrote the book. Anyways, Sora, Takuya, you guys are in need of some more cosmic razzle dazzle, Semi-Phenomenal, Nearly-Cosmic power, don't hesitate to give me a shout!"

"Will do, Genie," said Sora.

"Just don't forget about us," said Aladdin.

"I know I won't," said Sora, though the statement was already a lie.

(AN17)

"And Sora," added Aladdin, "About those friends of yours, the ones you're searching for, I know you'll find them."

"Thanks," said Sora.

The sphere of magic landed in Sora's hand and transformed into the Wishing Lamp Keyblade. They gave their final goodbyes and the four of them returned to the Gummy Ship.

* * *

(Halloween Town)

When the four of them landed in Halloween Town, they were dropped off in the forest. Looking around, they saw presents everywhere. Soon, Jack, in his Santa Outfit, came into view and started picking up the presents before noticing them.

"Perfect timing, gentlemen," said Jack, "Care to lend a hand?"

"Sure," said Flamon, moving to pick up the presents, "Why not?"

"These presents must belong to Sandy Claws," said Jack, "I'm just doing my duty of giving them back."

"And you just 'happened' to find them?" asked/accused Sora.

"Of course, Sora," said Jack, "I'm finished with Christmas Fantasies; you know that."

"Then why the outfit?" pressed Sora.

"This?" asked Jack, confused by the 'interrogation, "It's just a costume. Besides, after all the hard work Sally put into it, I can't just let it collect dust in some closet."

So, the four of them collected the presents on the ground and headed for the portal to Christmas Town. When they got to Santa's shop, they headed inside without much problem. Santa was pacing in his study when the five of them showed up.

"Where did you find these?" asked Santa, as he looked over the presents that were brought.

"In Halloween Town," said Jack, "You Do need these for Christmas, right Sandy?"

"Of course," said Santa, who was quite used to Jack's nickname for him, and he didn't mind all that much coming from a fellow Holiday Representative, But these aren't the only ones that went missing There are more out there to find."

"Stolen?" said Sora, as he, Donald, Goofy, and Santa turned to Jack.

'Hmm,' thought Takuya, 'Jack seemed sincere when he said he was over doing Christmas; however, with the portal, just about anyone can attempt the same.'

"…But," said Jack, as he was speaking with Santa, "if you don't believe me, we'll just have to find the REAL culprit(s)."

"Alright," said Santa, "You better bring them back, or else I'll have no choice but to hold you responsible."

"Understood," said Jack, "Okay guys, let's get moving."

They headed inside the factory, only to hear voices in the top room. They went upstairs to find Lock, Shock, and Barrel arguing about which presents to take.

'Uh oh,' thought Flamon, as he listened to the trio argue, 'something tells me they're not responsible for this.'

After confronting the three, they tried to bolt, but got captured in three magical boxes by Sora and the others.

"We tried to tell you," said Shock, "We didn't steal the presents."

"Then why are you here?" asked Jack.

"We were trying to get parts for the experiment," followed up Lock.

"Experiment?" asked Sora.

"Wasn't Dr. Finklestein working on something the last time we were here?" asked Flamon, remembering the 'good' doctor from when they met.

"That would be the one," said, Barrel, "Dr. Finklestein was making a friend for US to boss around."

"But there's nothing good here," said Lock, "Just happy gifts."

"That's right," agreed Barrel.

"We were better off finding stuff back in Halloween Town."

And so, the trio left, having not done something REALLY wrong, just a little wrong. When they returned with the news to Santa, he was both relieved and worried. Relieved: He didn't have another reason to keep the trio on the naughty list; worried: there was someone else after the presents.

Soon, Sally rushed in, saying that there were Heartless in the Square at Halloween Town.

"Guess our job's never done," sighed Sora, as get got ready to fight.

"Let's go help them out," said Flamon.

However, just as they got out of the door, Heartless were already in Christmas Town as well. They fought their way back to Halloween Town. When they got to the Square, they found the Mayor, once again, failing to get rid of the Heartless.

"Why'd you elect him as Mayor again?" asked Flamon.

"Don't remember ever voting for him," said Jack.

After a fierce battle with the Heartless, they were able to get the presents back, except for one that had been destroyed.

"This is bad," said Jack, examining the destroyed presents, "And it was such a nice present too."

"HELP!" shouted Dr. Finklestein, "Someone's stolen my latest experiment!"

Everyone reconvened inside the lab where the 'Good' Doctor explained what happened

"I was working on the computer when I was attacked from behind," said Doctor Finklestein, "When I came to, the Experiment was gone."

"Do you think it could be the Heartless?" asked Sora.

"If it WAS the Heartless, then why didn't we see in the square?" asked Flamon.

"Good point," said Sora.

"Besides," said Dr. Finklestein, "The attack I felt wasn't like the Heartless at all."

"Wait," said Jack, "I've got an idea. This thief likes Christmas Presents, right?"

"I think I see where your going with this," said Flamon, "We'll set a trap with fake gifts and capture the thief in the act."

"Bingo," said Jack.

"And what does this have to do with my experiment," asked Dr. Finklestein.

"If we can capture the thief, we'll scare a confession right out of him," said Jack, getting back into his Halloween spirit.

"Alright guys," said Sora, turning to the others, "Why don't we go along with Jack's plan for now?"

"Why not?" replied Flamon, as Donald and Goofy gave a nod of agreement.

So the five of them returned to Santa's Workshop to inform him of the plan.

"While I'm against using presents as such, there is the missing gifts to consider," said Santa, "Make sure these gifts don't get away as well."

"Promise," said Jack.

"You guys go on up," said Flamon, "I'm going to keep lookout, in case our thief decides to show up early.

"Alright," said Sora, "We'll take it from here."

So, while Sora, Jack, Donald, and Goofy headed upstairs, Flamon headed outside and jumped up to the roof. While there, he couldn't help but think about the visions he received while in Port Royal.

'There's something familiar about that Digimon,' thought Flamon, 'but I can't put my finger on what.'

(Vision)

_Agunimon was facing the figure, trapped in his grip, as he opened his mouth and shouted 'OMEGA HEAT VIPER!' before his green flames covered his vision._

(Vision End)

Flamon fell back, as he nearly felt the invisible flames that would eventually be shot at him.

'Now I KNOW there's something wrong,' thought Flamon, 'and I have a feeling I'll face it soon enough.'

(AN18)

He saw a giant robot moving towards the presents and he was gonna jump in there, but he saw Heartless appearing in the other square.

"Better handle the Heartless so Sora won't have to worry about them," said Flamon, as he jumped down to face them.

"Okay guys," said Flamon, Digivolving into Agunimon, "We can do this the hard way, or the fun way!"

However, before he could move, a Keyblade sliced through the Heartless and a hooded figure walked through the lingering smoke, Way to the Dawn in his hands.

"Riku," said Agunimon.

"Here," Riku, taking out a bag and tossing it over to Agunimon, "This should be the rest of what the Moogles need to finish the weapons."

"Thanks," said Agunimon.

Riku smirked, though Agunimon couldn't see it under the hood, "Just make sure Sora's alive long enough to see Kairi again. We'll meet up again at the Organization's stronghold."

"Alright, I'll take care of things on this end," said Agunimon, changing back to Flamon.

Riku nodded before disappearing in a Dark Portal.

"Time to get back to the others," said Flamon, as he took off for the plaza.

By the time he got there, Sora and the others managed to defeat the robot. Santa flew down on his sleigh and reindeer.

"Did you catch the thief?" asked Santa.

"Sure did," said Jack.

"One thing I can't figure out is why the experiment would go around stealing Christmas presents?"

"Doctor Finklestein Experiment?" asked Santa.

"The thief was a moving puppet made by Doctor Finklestein. But, he still though it was incomplete when it escaped and did all this."

"I supposed I can let this slide," said Santa, examining the Doctor's work, "He's always tinkering with something or another."

"It may be that it was picking up on the trio's habits, and since they were interested in Christmas Presents," said Flamon, "he may have just thought of taking the presents without any real use for them."

"Listen Jack," said Santa, "I want to thank you; however, delivering presents is a job only I can do for this world. But, I think I can make an exception and let you see what some of it's like."

"Thank you Sandy Claws," said Jack joyfully and hopped in the sleigh before anyone could stop him, "And Sora, here's a gift from me to you, to thank _you_ and your friends for all your help."

Jack took out a Candy Cane from the bag and infused it with some of his powers. After tossing it to Sora, who caught it, it turned into the Decisive Pumpkin Keyblade, which was imbued with the power of Two Holidays.

(AN19)

They returned to Halloween Town to inform the 'Good' Doctor of what had happened. Doctor Finklestein was happy that his experiment was a success, despite what it did in the process.

"But still," said Sora, still confused, "If it wanted a Heart, why go around stealing Christmas Gifts?"

"Maybe because presents are a way to give your Heart to someone special," offered Sally.

"When you put it that way," replied Sora, "I feel sort of bad for it."

'"If I only had a heart…"' thought Flamon, knowing who the puppet reminded him of, 'Just like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.'

Just then, they heard the telltale bells of the Christmas Sleigh and Jack landed nearby, happy that he got his wish. They saw Santa flying through the air above Halloween Town.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" shouted Santa, before using his powers to give a rare, if one-time, snow to fall in Halloween Town.

"What a sweet present," said Sally, who enjoyed the snow as much as the next person, if not a bit more.

"I don't get it," said Jack, "There's no box, no ribbon tied into a bow."

"Jack," said Sora, "It's not about the box, or the ribbons. It's about the gift inside the box."

"No Sora," said Sally, "The REAL special moment is in the giving of the gift. To wish nothing but happiness from your heart to someone else."

"You're absolutely right Sally," said Jack, "As always."

"Oh boy," sighed Flamon, leaning against a wall.

"And where were YOU, Takuya?" asked Sora.

"Some Heartless showed up and you had enough on your plate, so I took care of it," said Flamon, "It was that, or let you take them out and send more Hearts to the Organization."

Sora's eyes widened when he realized what Flamon was saying.

"Right, thanks."

"Hold on," said Jack, "I feel something strange. I feel so happy I can't help but smile."

"I guess that must be Sally's gift," said Goofy.

"This is your gift, Sally," said Jack, walking over and taking Sally's hands into his own, "Thank you for this wonderful gift. But I have nothing to give in return."

"The only gift I could ever ask for," replied Sally, is to just be with you, Jack."

This caused Sora to blush, thinking about someone special in his heart. Donald and Goofy were covering their eyes, not really wanting to be reminded of their loved ones at that time.

(AN20)

"You don't even need to ask for that," said Jack.

Jack danced with Sally in the falling snow.

"I guess, I never really gave a real present after all," said Sora.

"Who?" asked Donald.

"I'm sure Kairi would like just about anything you gave her," said Goofy.

"That's the hard part," said Sora.

"Hey," said Flamon, "As long as Kairi's happy, it doesn't really matter what you give her."

"What about you?" asked Sora, "You got someone like that?"

"Yeah," said Flamon, looking away, "But you don't need to know."

Flamon walked off, leaving Sora to imagine Kairi and himself in Sally and Jack's places.

* * *

When the got back to the ship, Chip and Dale contact them again.

"We got a stronger signal this time," said Chip.

"And it looks like it's coming from the other side of Twilight Town," added Dale, "And there seems to be two of them."

'Uh oh,' thought Takuya, remembering the Digital Twilight Town.

"Something's up in Twilight Town," said Chip, "We'll see what we can do from here and let you know if we get more information."

"Alright," said Sora, "We'll continue what we're doing on this end. Talk to you soon."

Sora turned off the phone and turned to Takuya.

"What's going on?" asked Sora.

"I think it's the worlds," replied Takuya, "Every time we help out in a world, the signal gets stronger. If we help out all the worlds, then we should be able to set a clear path there. It's the Organization's Base, and until now, it's been blocked off."

"Why?"

"Because if people like us can get there normally, then they'd have more trouble on their hands. So, they created a barrier around their world and used the portals of Darkness to travel to the other worlds," replied Takuya, "But right now, we need to see what's up in the Pride Lands."

"Alright," said Sora, taking control of the Gummy Ship, "Let's go!"

So they headed for the Pride Lands, wondering what was up with Simba and his friends.

(Chapter End)

THAT was a word I can't say here.

Dx: What happened?

RDF1: It's Halloween Town. I was never that big a fan of it. And while I respect the strength of the Decisive Pumpkin Keyblade, I don't really like the way it looks. I know it's better than the Keyblade you get in KH1, but I didn't like it, do to the fact that someone made a remark about it being like candy and used way too many times in the 'Sora vs. Roxas' battle. But NOW that it's over, I probably can work more on the next chapter and have it out by next week or something. With my new job taking up to forty hours out of my week, given what else I do, really takes away from writing as much as I originally started with. I've even cut back on my gaming because I rarely think about it anymore.

Okay, enough about my life, let's get back to the fic.

In the next chapter: Pride Lands and back to Hollow Bastion for a few final things before doing Atlantica all in the following chapter.

Okay, time for some updated Character Bios.

(Scene Change)

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master

(Scene Change)

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, and Wind

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon

Status: True Hero

(Scene Change)

Sora and Takuya's Limit Break: Attack Combination! Ultimate Fire Strike!

(I know the name needs work, and if any of you have a better suggestion, I'll change it in the next chapter)

(Scene Change)

Alright, time for the Author Notes, and there ARE a lot of them.

AN1: This is an idea expressed by Mrfipp. He has a few excellent stories that I have read. If you like Kingdom Hearts at length stories, then his is a good place to stop by.

AN2: I know Yutaka is Tommy's brother, and Jack doesn't know that. Yutaka is also a respelling of Takuya. So this fits, and is at least slightly humorous.

AN3: I know I have Jack as 'knowing' a lot, but it's like Jack said: You've got to have a keen eye. These are just a few things he's observant with.

AN4: I'm having Takuya play the odds that it's an old friend, because who else can fly, that has a feather in his cap that's part of the Kingdom Hearts Universe?

AN5: This is a setup for the next chapter. If you don't know who it is by the time the chapter's over, then you don't know Digimon Season 2, or any of its Digimon.

AN6: I'm having Sora remember piece by piece the event of Chain of Memories. With each battle, he remembers more and more until after he battles Lexaeus. Then he'll remember everything.

AN7: Takuya doesn't know everything, as I've had to point out several times. He only knows the parts that Riku and Mickey told him.

AN8: They should have done this from the beginning, but the game doesn't let you cover the lid for some reason.

AN9: Well, considering what happens afterwards in the Pirates of the Caribbean world, the curse never returns, so this is a good way to end it decisively.

AN10: Also, given what happens in the future, you can see why Will is put off by her eager acceptance.

AN11: Well, since you don't have anymore required visits, you can always go back at any time if your playing the game yourself.

AN12: Pacey8444 skipped over the Chip and Dale scenes for some reason, so I'll have to use VIIBram's videos to piece in this scene as well as the others.

AN13: Well, given the series progression, you can see why he leaves later.

AN14: Tommy told Takuya about Katsuhara and his brother while they were in the Digital World. And given what a bully Katsuhara was in the beginning, Takuya knows its somewhat similar to what Iago's going through, so he doesn't hate or blame Iago for what he did.

AN15: Again, TOMMY. Given what happened to Tommy, you can at understand to a certain extent Iago's position.

AN16: Given Genie's knowledge of the present (or rather future) there are numerous things that can 'improve' the city of Agrabah.

AN17: It's already a lie, since he forgot about everyone at Castle Oblivion. Though he forgot about Castle Oblivion itself, his memory is returning.

AN18: Yeah, in the next chapter you'll see what surprises are in store for Takuya.

AN19: Again, I dislike this Keyblade a lot. I respect its strength, I just don't like the Keyblade itself, and it's rare that I don't like any Keyblade like this.

AN20: For Donald, it's Daisy; however, I'm not a hundred percent sure about.

Well, that all I guess.

Except for one thing: LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE WRITTEN TO DATE! And I might have yet another that's even longer at this rate.

Later,

RDF1


	9. Battling for the Spirit within!

RDF1: Yes! Yes! This is a good day indeed!

Dx: What's got you all hyped up!

RDF1: Two things, actually: First, This is my longest fic by chapters starting now.

Dx: And the second?

New Voice: He has a new OC to celebrate with.

Dx: Oh. (realizes who said it) Who's this?

RDF1: Say hello to my new OC: The LONE Raindrop.

Dx: WHAT!

Lone Raindrop: That's right.

Jenny: Wow, a new OC, huh? Didn't think that'd happen for a while longer.

PyroDragoon: Oh great.

RDF1: What?

Pyros: You think I wouldn't notice? I'm a fire creature and he's water!

RDF1: Oh. Well, you could just ignore that. Besides, it's my head. I've got control over just about everything in my head that isn't involuntary. So, you should have to worry about it.

Lone Raindrop (LR for short): As much as it is good getting to know you guys, didn't I hear RDF1 mentioning something about a fic?

RDF1: Thanks. But first, just so you guys won't forget: LR and I met this past Sunday, June 13.

Okay, now that that is out there, time for the fic information.

In this chapter: Pride Lands, Part 2, followed by Hollow Bastion.

RDF1: And boy there will be something special going on in Hollow Bastion.

Dx: Considering that this world has at least two other worlds in it.

RDF1: Shut up.

LR: Disclaimer, go for it!

Disclaimer: RDF1 doesn't own anything related to Disney, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, or Digimon. He only owns his OCs and some ideas that have been expressed by him in previous fics.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_When the got back to the ship, Chip and Dale contacted them again._

"_We got a stronger signal this time," said Chip._

"_And it looks like it's coming from the other side of Twilight Town," added Dale, "And there seems to be two of them."_

'_Uh oh,' thought Takuya, remembering the Digital Twilight Town._

"_Something's up in Twilight Town," said Chip, "We'll see what we can do from here and let you know if we get more information."_

"_Alright," said Sora, "We'll continue what we're doing on this end. Talk to you soon."_

_Sora turned off the phone and turned to Takuya._

"_What's going on?" asked Sora._

"_I think it's the worlds," replied Takuya, "Every time we help out in a world, the signal gets stronger. If we help out all the worlds, then we should be able to set a clear path there. It's the Organization's Base, and until now, it's been blocked off."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because if people like us can get there normally, then they'd have more trouble on their hands. So, they created a barrier around their world and used the portals of Darkness to travel to the other worlds," replied Takuya, "But right now, we need to see what's up in the Pride Lands."_

"_Alright," said Sora, taking control of the Gummy Ship, "Let's go!"_

_So they headed for the Pride Lands, wondering what was up with Simba and his friends._

(Recap End)

(Pride Lands)

As the four of them landed back in the Pride Lands, the land seemed as desolate as ever. They heard footsteps and soon, the three Hyenas were back, just as annoying as ever.

"Oh, it's just you guys," said Shenzi, knowing that they didn't stand a chance against the offworlders, "And here I was hoping for a meal."

"Wow, back for round 2, huh?" teased Flamon.

"I'll KILL YOU!" shouted Shenzi, lunging for Flamon.

Flamon used Shenzi's momentum to toss her behind him like a pro.

"I'll get you!" swore Shenzi.

"Hey!" said Sora, "Where's Simba?"

This only caused the three of them to laugh, Shenzi even ignoring Flamon at the moment.

"Sorry," said Banzai, "But we can't help but laugh when we hear that name."

"Say it again," said Shenzi.

"Simba…"

"HAHAHA!"

Eventually Ed joined in on the laughing and the three of them were just cracking up.

"Okay," said Flamon, a look of anger crossing his face, and a killing intent radiating from him, "Joke's over! I'd suggest telling us where Simba is before you meet the business end of my fist!"

Everyone back away a bit at this statement. It was very rare that Flamon got angry, but he was full on ticked now.

"Okay," said Banzai, "You're just gonna have to find out yourselves. We couldn't tell you because we'd laugh half the time."

"Yeah," said Shenzi, as the three of them turned to leave, "I bet those lionesses are probably wishing for another King by now."

After they left, Flamon let out a sigh and turned to the others.

"Sorry about that," said Flamon, "It's just, after all Simba's sacrificed and done shouldn't be brought in vain. Not to mention I'm still irked I can't Digivolve into my stronger forms."

"Well, we can't do anything about it now," said Sora, "Let's get to Pride Rock to see what's up with Simba."

When they approached Pride Rock, dark wisps of smoke appeared and joined together to form Scar, or a ghostly version of him.

"SCAR!" shouted the four of them.

However, before they could get to him, he disappeared into Darkness.

"A ghost?" asked Donald.

"I fear it's something worse," replied Flamon.

"Let's tell Simba about it, maybe he can help," added Goofy.

As they made their way up Pride Rock, Nala was there, as if waiting for something, or someone.

"Nala," said Sora, "What's going on here?"

"Hey guys," said Nala, "Well, where to begin…"

"Why not start just after we left?" asked Flamon.

"Well, a couple days after we defeated Scar, he went on vacation with Timon's family," explained Nala, "I didn't even Timon's family were still alive till after the battle. Anyways, after spending a week at the oasis, Simba returned to properly claim the throne, marrying me as intended. How that works out I'll never want to know. However, shortly after that, Scar appeared. He shows up and disappears in dark smoke. Simba thinks it's Scar's ghost reminding him of his failures. He's been in the Den ever since."

(AN1)

"Oh great," said Flamon, "And here I thought he put his past behind him already."

"Let us talk to him," suggested Sora, "Maybe we can help him."

"Alright," said Nala, "Couldn't hurt. But I couldn't even get through to him, and we're best friends."

As Sora, Donald and Goofy headed inside, Flamon turned to Nala.

"Yeah," said Flamon, "That's true, but Sora and Simba go back a ways as well. There may be something he can do that no one else can."

"THAT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!" shouted Simba from inside.

"Oh boy," sighed Flamon, "Better get in there."

As Flamon entered, he heard Simba speak again.

"I just wish I knew what my father would do."

"Your Father," said Flamon, stifling a chuckle, as he didn't mean to disrespect the late and great Mufasa, "You're wanting to live up to the expectations that your father met?"

"What's so wrong with that?" asked Simba, feeling offended.

"Nothing really," said Flamon, approaching Simba, "Except, you can't be your father. No matter how much you tried, you couldn't be Mufasa if your life depended on it."

"He's right," said Timon, as he and Pumba entered the Den.

"Yup, yup, yup," added Pumba.

"Now's not the time to try to be Mufasa. You've got to make your own stand," said Timon, "This is your Kingdom now, so stop living in the past. I always told you, 'You gotta put your past behind you.' Remember?"

"We know you can do it," added Sora.

"You've got to make your own path," said Pumba, "Not follow in your father's footsteps."

"Make my own path," said Simba, as if to himself, "You're right. It's high time I make my own choices. I know my father wouldn't say any different."

"That he wouldn't," said Nala, "I'm glad your back."

Nala cuddled with Simba for a moment.

"We're counting on you," said Nala, "So is our baby."

"Baby!" said Sora and Takuya, as they and the others were startled a bit.

"Oh great," said Timon, "Now we'll have to baby-sit."

"Oh Timon," said Simba, "I'm sure it won't be so bad. We're all gonna look after him, won't we?"

"That's right," said Nala.

(AN2)

"First, we should see Rafiki," said Simba, "We need some information and he's the one to go to for that information. He should be in the Stone Hollow next door."

"Right," said Sora, "Let's go."

They went to the Stone Hollow and sure enough, Rafiki was there, doing whatever he does.

"Ah, the King," said Rafiki, "Is our King ready for the responsibility that comes with this power?"

"I believe so," replied Simba.

"What can you tell us about Scar's ghost?" asked Sora.

"Ah, the ghost," said Rafiki, "It is a being without a body that is created when Scar's evil Heart meets with Simba's hesitating Heart."

"Hesitating?" said Simba, a bit fearfully.

"When the time for action arrives, yet none is taking, that is hesitation, my friend," said Rafiki.

"Could it be that we didn't defeat Scar's Heartless?" asked Goofy.

"That would explain it," said Flamon.

"I'm not sure," said Sora.

"And that is the problem," said Rafiki, "Not knowing for sure is what is upsetting the balance and the lands haven't had time to fully recover from Scar's reign."

"You know you don't have to remind me of that, right?" said Simba.

He was answered with a bonk to the head.

"Now is the time to correct it, Simba," said Rafiki, his tone serious now, "You must be ready, in both mind AND heart for this to be resolved!"

Rafiki calmed down a bit before continuing, "Now, that is all I have to say on this matter. If you want more information, I believe the Hyenas might know more."

"They should be at the Elephant Graveyard," said Simba.

The five of them left Pride Rock and started out over the Savannah, battling heartless along the way, and eventually made it to the graveyard. When they entered the graveyard, they found the 'humble' abode of the three Hyenas: Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed.

"There they are," said Donald, as they spotted the Hyena Trio.

"Oh come on," said Banzai, "It's bad enough that we had to return here because of you guys. Now you want to run us out here too?"

"We're not here to make you move," said 'King' Simba, "What do you know about Scar's Ghost?"

"You really think we'd tell you just like that?" said Shenzi.

"Let me take care of this," said Flamon, stepping forward.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy sweet revenge," said Shenzi, who was beyond furious by this outsider's remarks, and would most likely be justified.

"Let's go!" said Banzai, as all three of them jumped onto Flamon.

Just as they made contact, Flamon erupted into a giant pillar of fire, forcing Simba and the others to back away. When the fire died down, all three of the Hyenas were in the air, with Flamon above them. As the Hyenas were stunned in the air, they couldn't move as Flamon kicked them to the ground as he fell.

"What was that?" asked Simba.

"That was pent up rage," said Flamon, "And boy does it make me feel better."

The three Hyenas were able to stand, albeit slowly, and regrouped.

"What the heck was that?" questioned Shenzi, "I saw my life flashing before my eyes. Let's get out of here before he decides to finish us."

"Not before you tell us about Scar's ghost!" demanded Simba.

"We only know he shows up whenever there's a frightened cat around," said Banzai, "That's all."

And, as if on cue, another ghost of Scar appeared, darkness seeping off of him.

"Oh boy," said Shenzi, "Looks like we have ourselves a frightened cat around here. And something tells me it ain't Sora."

"Simba," said Sora, knowing that only Simba could handle it, "Do something."

"So, how does it feel to be King, dear nephew?" asked Scar's Ghost, "I bet after all this time, you've _grown_ into quite the inspiring King. I mean, after all, who better than the son of the GREAT Mufasa."

Simba never felt this much fear in his life since his father's death, which he still blamed himself for even though it was Scar that actually did the deed. He couldn't take it anymore and ran off to the only place where he felt safe.

"My dear boy, you will never grow up at this rate," said Scar's ghost, "Always running away. Some things never change."

With that, he vanished, as Sora's heart wasn't so hesitating. The Hyenas left as well, trying and failing to not laugh hard enough for their wounds to hurt.

"Gawrsh, Rafiki was right," said Goofy.

"You don't mean…" started Sora.

"As long as Simba holds that fear inside of him," said Flamon, "Scar's ghost will remain here, and the Pride Lands will never recover before they fade completely."

"Anything we can do to help?" asked Donald.

"We need to go about this a different way," said Flamon.

"In any case," said Sora, "We need a new plan. Let's return to Pride Rock. Maybe Rafiki can help us."

So, they headed back to Pride Rock, meeting up with Timon and Pumba along the way.

"Did you see Simba run by here?" asked Sora, as they headed for Pride Rock.

"Yeah, he was heading for the Oasis like he had Scar on his tail," said Timon.

"Or in his head," said Flamon.

They approached Pride Rock to see Rafiki and Nala there waiting for them, or Simba.

"Where's Simba?" asked Nala.

"He's at the Oasis," said Timon, "If nothing else, my family will look out for him if Scar's ghost returns."

"But didn't you say your family was at the bottom of the food chain?" asked Pumba.

"I know, but after getting to know Simba and you, they will protect you guys because your family," said Timon.

"Aw, thanks," said Pumba.

"But I'm afraid this is something only Simba can do," said Rafiki, "He needs to find for himself the courage to face Scar again."

"And you didn't mention this before, because?" asked Sora.

"This is something the King must do," said Rafiki, before getting serious again, "And because you are outsiders, you cannot directly interfere with this ordeal."

'Directly, huh?' thought Flamon.

"Guys," said Flamon, "Head to the Oasis. If nothing else, you can meet with Timon's family. I have to talk to Rafiki about something."

"Okay, Takuya," said Sora, "Let's go guys."

So, Sora, Donald, and Goofy headed for the Oasis. After they left, Flamon headed with Rafiki into the Stone Hollow.

"Alright Monkey," said Flamon, "There's something your not telling us. What is it?"

"It is Zira," said Rafiki, "She is doing nothing to help Simba. She and some of the Pride believed that things are worse now than when Scar ruled. It doesn't help that Scar named Kovu his heir before Simba returned."

(AN3)

"I see," said Flamon, "I think it's time for a different approach. Maybe some reverse psychology could work."

"Go, and may the King return to his throne ready in Mind and Heart."

Flamon left Rafiki after that and headed to the Oasis himself. When he got there, Sora and the others were talking with Timon's mom and Uncle Max, trying to think of a plan to get to Simba.

"Hey there," said Flamon, entering the conversation, "I've got a plan that will work."

"Really?" asked Sora.

"It has to," said Flamon, "Either it works, or Simba dies out of fear."

The others gasped at that, not wanting it to happen.

"Follow me," said Flamon, as he entered the clearing with the others behind him.

There, Simba was cornered by Scar's Ghost. There was no running away this time. However, Simba was still afraid, leaving Flamon with no other choice.

"Time to talk some sense into him," said Flamon, kneeling down behind a log as to conceal his presence.

"Simba, my dear nephew," said Flamon, trying to disguise his voice as Scar's and throwing it to make Simba think it was Scar himself that was talking, "After all that courage it took to face me for the throne, now you have none left to defend it with? Mufasa would be so disappointed in you. But, who could blame you, it WAS your fault that he got killed!"

"That's a lie!" roared Simba, "You're the one that killed him!"

"Takuya," hissed Sora, "what are you doing?"

"Just wait for it," whispered Flamon, before continuing, "I wasn't the one in the valley when the Wildebeest charged through."

"But you WERE the one that told me to stay there. You wanted us both dead so you could have the throne," said Simba, getting angrier by the moment, "It's because of you I lost my father!"

"And who else are you going to lose now? At this rate, even Nala will stop believing in you. Or maybe even Sora, not to mention Zira already doesn't like the way you've been ruling."

That did it. Simba roared as loud as he could, his mind made up, his heart set.

"I WON'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE! MY FATHER MAY BE GONE, BUT THE OTHERS ARE NOT! AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO KEEP NALA SAFE! YOU'RE JUST A COWARD! IF YOU HAD THE GUTS TO DO ANYTHING, YOU WOULD'VE ALREADY DONE IT BY NOW! BEGONE, SCAR, AND NEVER RETURN!"

With one final roar, Scar's Ghost disappeared with a small smile on his face, that Simba didn't notice. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran up to Simba to congratulate him on finding his courage again.

"Not bad," said Timon's mom, "You used reverse Psychology on him."

"Yeah," said Flamon, "Sometimes to get someone to do the right thing, you got to tell them the wrong things until they decide to do the right thing."

"Yeah," said Max, "That's good."

"However, never use that on Timon. Metaphors are bad enough with him," said Timon's mom, "But Psychology is something he can't handle."

Soon, they saw Timon rush past them, stopping for a moment to say hey, before rushing out into the clearing, shouting something about Scars all over the Pride Lands. Simba took off in a hurry to help Nala, who stayed behind with Pumba.

"Look at that," said Timon, with pride, "Simba's all grown up now and finding his place in this nutty Circle of Life thing."

"Oh please," said Simba, stopping for a moment, "Like you want to leave Pumba all by himself. Let's go guys. You too Takuya."

Simba turned his head to where Flamon was exiting the deeper part of the forest.

"Like I'd want to miss this," said Flamon, "Besides, I owe Scar for knocking me off of Pride Rock."

So, the group of six high-tailed it back to Pride Rock, Timon on Simba's back. When they got there, Scar had Nala cornered on Pride Rock, with Pumba between them. Pumba, although scared out of his wits, wasn't going to leave Nala, and stood between the two, not moving an inch, except shivering out of fear.

"We're here," said Sora, as they arrived.

"Where's Simba?" asked Nala.

The five of them parted and bowed as Simba walked up, courage and pride within him stronger than ever before. Scar walked up to Simba, but Simba didn't even blink.

"You don't belong here anymore," said Simba, "Leave, NOW!"

Scar disappeared into Darkness, knowing that Simba was no longer hesitant. As everyone began to cheer that Scar was gone, dark orbs from around the Kingdom began to gather in the Savannah.

"It's not over yet," said Flamon.

"Are you with me?" asked Simba, though he could already guess the answer.

"Now and forever, your majesty," replied Sora.

"Let me go first," said Flamon, as he led the charge down the hill, "I've still got payback to deliver!"

Flamon jumped into the Heartless's mouth and gave it the spiciest meatball ever, strike the meat and add the fire. As the Heartless's mouth opened, Flamon jumped out and focused his power into his hands and brought them down on the Heartless's head, knocking it out on the ground. Simba and Sora leaped over the head as Flamon landed and attacked the core on the back with a Limit Breaker, taking it out in one shot. After the Heartless was defeated, it released a Heart that was soon captured by a small dark portal.

Rafiki exited his Stone Hollow and joined the others.

"Ah," said Rafiki, "The King HAS returned; very good, Simba. The Pride Lands will not forget the Courage of King Simba, or those that fought beside him."

Simba walked forward a bit, addressing Sora.

"Do you think your quest will ever be over?" asked Simba.

Sora brought out the Kingdom Key and placed it on the ground, "I think that as long as I have the Keyblade, I will have to keep fighting until everything is done."

"Ah," said Rafiki, "The never-ending battle of being a Keyblade Bearer. That is the Circle of Life for one such as you, Sora."

"Never-ending?" said Sora, his fears being manifested as fighting even when he was 80, or even older.

"However," said Rafiki, "The secret to victory is a strong Heart. The stronger the Heart, the more powerful one can become in order to protect those closest to the one.

"Now, go on, get out of here," continued Rafiki, laughing, "You must continue your journey, and you can't do to that if you remain here!"

"He's right," said Flamon, "Let's get going."

"Until our next meeting, your majesty," said Sora.

"Until then, my friends," said Simba.

The four of them left the Pride Lands, knowing it will be in safe hands now.

* * *

(Gummy Ship)

"Everything alright Takuya," said Sora.

They got the feeling that Takuya was getting more agitated, as they got closer to Hollow Bastion.

"Like I said," said Takuya, not looking at them, "It's nothing for you to worry about."

Truth was, Takuya was getting antsy. His visions were telling him something and all the clues pointed towards Hollow Bastion. And since they were heading there, it did nothing to improve his mood. Sora left it for now and they landed in Hollow Bastion.

* * *

(Hollow Bastion)

However, even as they landed, they saw Heartless running about.

"Hey!" exclaimed Sora, "I thought we fixed the Heartless problem here in Hollow Bastion."

Just then, the defense system acted up, something that shouldn't happen unless Heartless were in the area, which there weren't at the time.

"Let's get to Merlin's place," said Takuya, "Maybe we can get some answers from the others."

So, they headed over to Merlin's house, stopping by to see Cloud and Uncle Scrooge along the way. Cloud was only concerned about Sephiroth, and Scrooge mentioned something about getting a trade route established with Twilight Town to share Sea-Salt Ice Cream with the rest of the worlds. However, when they got to Merlin's house, more Heartless appeared, though they were different from what Takuya had seen before.

(AN4)

After battling the Heartless, Yuffie opened up the door and urged them inside.

"What about the Heartless?" asked Sora.

"We'll explain inside," said Yuffie.

Once inside, Yuffie, Cid, and Merlin explained how the MCP was ruining everything: bringing the Heartless from Tron's world into this one, the defense system acting up, and restricting access for ALL Users.

"Then I guess there's only one thing to do," said Sora, "And that's taking the battle to the MCP."

"You don't have access to Space Paranoids right now. Leon's trying to reestablish the link, but it will take some time," said Cid.

"Hey Sora," said Takuya, "Why don't you go help Pooh? It'll pass the time and you need to keep your promise, right?"

"Right," said Sora.

So, while Sora entered Pooh's storybook, Takuya and Merlin went into a different room for some privacy while they talked.

"Alright my boy," started Merlin, "What is going on? On the phone you sounded like this was life or death. Who in the world would you need to permanently summon here?"

"Roxas, Namine, and Xion," said Takuya, "They have a right to live as much as anyone."

"You do realize Nobodies weren't meant to exist, right?"

"Just like Heartless weren't. However, these, along with one other, have proven themselves worthy of existing their lives as complete people. And since three were originally Nobodies, they can't become Heartless. Xion, as a Replica, can't have a Heartless either because of how she was created. For them to live in peace, they need to have their own bodies, their own beings, to be able to do so."

"I see," said Merlin, "However, while I can create charms for summoning, I don't have the power to alter them as you need them to be. Master Yen Sid might be able to help us, but that would mean traveling to his place and asking for his help."

"Well," said Takuya, "Why not now? With Sora helping out Pooh and his friends, there isn't much to do but wait."

"I'll go," said Merlin, "You need to be here for what happens next."

"You mean…"

"Yes. I'll be right back," finished Merlin, before disappearing.

Takuya left the room and exited Merlin's house, telling Donald and Goofy that he had some business to take care of and that they should wait for Sora to return before heading to see Tron. Takuya headed out to the Nearest Moogle shop and delivered the rest of the Items.

"Thank you," said the Moogle, "The Items will be ready shortly. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah," said Takuya, "Don't give it to them until after they've defeated the MCP."

"Understood. Thank you for your business," finished the Moogle.

As Takuya was returning to Merlin's house, he felt a chill enter his spine. He looked up and saw a HUGE figure fly by and enter the ravine where the battle against the Heartless took place. Takuya headed down there, evolving into Agunimon on the way. If his visions were any indication, this was going to be one tough battle. When he got there, the figure stood, waiting for him. As he approached the beast, he heard a voice in his head. It was one he had heard many times before in the digital world, but thought it was something everyone heard, not just in their heads.

(Digimon Analyzer)

Digimon: Kimeramon

Attribute: Virus

Level: Ultimate

Information: Mix and matched from different parts of other Champion and Ultimate level Digimon, this combination is one to be feared. If his size wasn't enough, his speed only adds to the problem. However, his Heat Viper is deadly to anyone it hits.

(AN5)

'Oh great,' thought Agunimon, as he prepared to battle this menace. 'And here I was starting to believe only the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors and myself got out.'

"Here you are," said a familiar voice.

Agunimon turned to see Xemnas appearing out of a portal of Darkness.

"It seems as if we are at a standstill," said Xemnas.

"And what makes you think that?" countered Agunimon.

"You can't interfere in other world affairs, and yet, one of your world affairs has shown on a world not your own. Can you best a creature that has so many strengths and so few weaknesses?"

"We won't know until the battle is over."

"Very well," said Xemnas, "Let's see you defeat this creature, born of data, just as you are."

Xemnas disappeared after that and Kimeramon began his attack. Agunimon jumped to the side to avoid the green flames that wanted to roast him. Summoning flames to his hands, he let loose a few Pyro Punches that were blocked by the SkullGreymon hand. Agunimon glared at Kimeramon, before charging forward and jumping up to strike him directly. Kimeramon brought down both of his Devimon hands to capture Agunimon, but Agunimon grabbed on at the last second and used the momentum to get up to the head. There, he used another Pyro Punch, this time physically striking the Kabuterimon head. However, this did nothing but annoy Kimeramon and he moved his head, allowing the horn to knock Agunimon to the ground. Kimeramon took to the sky after that.

"Okay," said Agunimon, getting up and stabilizing himself, "Time for plan 'b'."

SLIDE EVOLUTION!

BurningGreymon took to the skies, launching several Pyro Barrages to knock it off guard. As BurningGreymon got up into Kimeramon's face, he focused his power and unlocked his True Hero power. He unleashed a Wildfire Tsunami at pointblank range before changing back into Agunimon. He quickly used Pyro Tornado in combination with the Wildfire Tsunami to inflict more damage. Kimeramon started to fall, but Agunimon wasn't done.

"Get back here!" shouted Agunimon, launching Pyro Punches at the Greymon chest and belly. He flipped in the air, bringing down both of his fists directly below the sternum. "I'm not done yet!" he shouted before he rotated again and kicked Kimeramon in the stomach at the exact moment Kimeramon collided with the ground.

(AN6)

Agunimon jumped back and landed on one knee. He was tired, but would be ready to scan the data once it appeared. However, when none appeared, Agunimon stood up again, getting ready for round 2 when Xemnas appeared again.

"Well, well," said Xemnas, "Your power isn't all that weak after all."

"How about you face me yourself?" taunted Agunimon.

"Sorry," said Xemnas, "You'll just have to settle for this."

Xemnas brought out a long box and opened it. Agunimon's eyes widened as the spirits of Water, Thunder, and Metal were set free and merged with Kimeramon. Kimeramon stood up, his power renewed greater than before. With the spirits of water, his Devimon hands changed into MarineDevimon hands. With the spirits of Thunder, his Kabuterimon head changed into a MegaKabuterimon head, and his wings changed from Angemon and Airdramon to MagnaAngemon and Megadramon. Finally, with the Metal spirits in place, his Greymon body changed into that of WarGreymon. His legs changed from Garurumon to MetalGarurumon and his Kuwagamon hand into an Okuwamon hand. Also, his MetalGreymon hair changed into WarGreymon hair

(Digimon Analyzer)

Name: MetalKimeramon

Attribute: Virus

Level: Mega

Information: As Kimeramon was made from parts of Champion and Ultimate level Digimon; Ultimate and Mega Level Digimon parts form MetalKimeramon. With enhanced strength and speed, he is nearly impossible to outrun or catch. And with enhanced defense and stamina, this fighting machine can battle for hours without tiring by even the smallest of amounts. His Omega Heat Viper can burn even through pure Chrome Digizoid.

(AN7)

Before Agunimon could even move, MetalKimeramon used his MarineDevimon hands to capture Agunimon and bring him up to his face. Agunimon knew what was coming up next.

"Omega Heat Viper!" shouted MetalKimeramon, blasting Agunimon back across the battlefield.

Agunimon changed back into Takuya and landed hard on the surface, shattering his goggles. Takuya couldn't move at the moment, but he could sense that Sora and the others were making their way to join him. As he tried to move, Donald casted Curaga on him and he felt his wounds healing, and his pain fading, for the moment.

"Guys," said Takuya, as he struggled to get up, "You need to get to Tron. He needs you more than I do right now."

"We can't let you get killed by that thing either!" countered Sora as he summoned his Kingdom Key.

Takuya just placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from making a foolhardy mistake.

"You don't understand," said Takuya, still breathing heavily as his energy was still recovering from that last attack, "That thing is a Digimon. He is my business and my business alone. If you want to help me, then go to Tron and stop the MCP from returning this world into Darkness!"

"Are you sure?" asked Sora.

"Sure as the sun rises and sets, Sora," replied Takuya, bringing out his D-Tector again, "Now go!"

"Alright," said Sora, instantly regretting the choice as he, Donald, and Goofy, left for the Postern.

Takuya focused his attention on MetalKimeramon once more, before he smiled.

"Aright, ugly," said Takuya, his power radiating once more, his goggles reforming the glass that had been scattered when he landed, "TIME TO SHOW MY TRUE POWER! EXECUTE NOW! FUSION EVOLUTION!"

Aldamon stood there, more powerful than before, his resolve stronger than ever.

"You think that just because you have all that armor and are extremely fast, that you can't be defeated!" said Aldamon, "Well, GUESS AGAIN! TIME TO SHOW YOU WHAT TRUE POWER IS ALL ABOUT!"

Aldamon took to the skies, with MetalKimeramon behind him. He replayed the words Koji gave him before.

(Flashback)

"_WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE HERE!" shouted Koji, as he slammed Takuya against the wall._

(Flashback End)

This wasn't a game. This was life or death, and Takuya knew that from the start of the battle. If he was going to give an answer to Koji, then he better start surviving. As he flew above the clouds he stopped, MetalKimeramon appearing about twenty yards away from him. The battle was just beginning.

* * *

As Sora and the others left Takuya, they made it to the Postern, and stopped to check in with the Trio before heading to the Computer Room. After settling things with them, they each gave Sora a small portion of their power, which combined with Sora's own power to form the Gullwing Keyblade. With that sent into hyperspace, Sora and the others headed to Ansem's Study. Upon reaching the computer room, Lion and Aerith were there, waiting for them. After being updated on the situation, Leon left to get the program from Cid. He left Sora a small trinket that was similar to his own necklace, which turned into the Sleeping Lion Keyblade. After sending it to Hyperspace as well, Sora accessed the computer and found that Leon and Aerith had managed to restore the transfer program. He activated it and they proceeded to head for Space Paranoids, to help Tron.

* * *

Aldamon battled as hard as he could, deflecting and countering attacks that would otherwise be impossible. The one thing on Aldamon's mind throughout the entire battle was the one person he would live for.

'It's not enough to die for something or someone,' thought Aldamon, as he sent another Atomic Inferno at MetalKimeramon, 'It's what worth living for that marks a True Hero. Zoe, give me strength to return to you. Let me be able to see you at least once more.'

MetalKimeramon soon got in his face and launched another Omega Heat Viper, but Aldamon managed to counter with another Solar Wind Destroyer, sending them both back.

'This is it,' thought Aldamon, 'I've got once chance at defeating this guy. It's now, or NEVER!'

Focusing all of his remaining power into his shields, they opened up again like they did against Jafar. He knew that if he fired recklessly, MetalKimeramon would be able to dodge and he'd be out of power. So, he flew as fast as he could straight at MetalKimeramon, even as MetalKimeramon started firing Omega Heat Vipers at him. He didn't give the attacks a second thought; his mind was elsewhere. His friends, his family, ZOE, and everyone that was back home, as well as Sora, Donald, Goofy, and even Riku and King Mickey: these were the people he met and got to know that he fought for. He remembered each friend he met.

(Flashback)

"_So, my name's JP," said JP as he moved Takuya out of the way, "What's yours?"_

"_I'm Zoe," said Zoe, smiling, "Nice to meet you."_

"_And I'm Takuya," said Takuya, still a bit nervous around JP._

"_I'm…" started Tommy, though he hesitated._

_This caused the other three to bring their full attention onto him._

"_I'm Tommy, but I didn't want to get on this train," continued Tommy, before screaming, tears running down his face, "WHY ARE KIDS ALWAYS PICKING ON ME!"_

(Flashback End)

(AN8)

(Flashback)

"_Hey," said Riku, shaking Flamon by his shoulder, "Wake up man."_

"_I hope he's alright," said Mickey, "He managed to get all the way here without any sort of transport. He must be out of it."_

_Flamon opened his eyes to see Riku, or rather Ansem, and freaked out like anyone else normally would. He backed up against the wall, before remembering who he was and stopped. He then glared back at Riku._

"_It's not nice to stand over people while their trying to recover from another near-death experience," said Flamon._

"_Are you okay?" asked Mickey._

"_A talking mouse, what a surprise," said Flamon, before asking, "What type of Digimon are you?"_

"_Digimon?" asked Mickey._

"_Short for Digital Monster," said Flamon, standing up, "My name is Takuya Kanbara."_

"_My name is Mickey Mouse," said Mickey, "And I'm the King of Disney Castle."_

"_Disney?" said Flamon, before remembering something from his world, "You're THE Mickey Mouse?"_

"_That's me," said Mickey._

"_And my name is Riku, though you can call me Ansem in this form," said Riku._

"_Nice to meet you," said Flamon, before realizing he was still Flamon, "I'm guessing that isn't your true form. Mind helping get back to mine?"_

"_Mickey," whispered Riku into Mickey's ear, though Flamon could hear every word, "You think we can trust him?"_

"_Well," said Mickey, "Let's get to know him and find out. If nothing else, we can always keep him away from Organization 13."_

(Flashback End)

(AN9)

(Flashback)

"_Let's see," said Sora, thinking back, "We defeated Ansem, restored peace to the worlds, found Kairi, and then we went to look for Riku. I think that's right so far."_

"_But along the way," said another voice, "You found yourself somewhere where you fell asleep. It's been nearly a year since you were last awake."_

_The three of them turned to face whoever it was. The one who spoke looked to be no older than Sora was, but he looked like nothing they had ever seen before. The guy had red hair down to the middle of his back; at his forehead were two stubs of horns that looked like they had been cut off. His green eyes showed something wild about him, but masked some intelligence within. He had no shirt on, but a white mark that looked to be a birthmark on the left side of his chest, a similar mark under his eyes to match. He had fingerless gloves with short claws on the end of his hands. His pants were red with the buckle of his belts holding the Japanese Kanji of Fire. His feet were three toed and to complete the look, he had a tail made of solid flame._

"_Hey, the name's Takuya, but you can call me Flamon in this form."_

"_And what exactly are you?" asked Sora._

"_I've wondered that myself from time to time," replied Takuya/Flamon, "Right now, we need to get out of here."_

(Flashback End)

Just then his shields closed up again, but the fire was still there. He brought his shields in front of him and started spinning like a drill, the flames growing with each spin and attack sent by MetalKimeramon.

"ATOMIC INFERNO DRILL!" shouted Aldamon, as he made contact with the center of MetalKimeramon's chest.

Sure enough, the Chrome Digizoid began to melt away and Aldamon drilled through the WarGreymon body. As he exited the other side, he returned his shields to their original positions before he turned around. MetalKimeramon's figure went shadowed as a line of Data shown around it, six small figurines showed up in order along the line of Data.

"Alright," said Aldamon, taking out his D-Tector and setting it to scan mode, "FRACTAL CODE: DIGITIZE!"

He then scanned the data, collecting the spirits in the process, and MetalKimeramon disappeared, no Digiegg to speak of.

"Well, that figures," said Aldamon as he headed over to the Postern, "The one Digimon I face off against off my own world and it's pure data."

* * *

"This town had another name," said Aerith, as they saw Aldamon finish off MetalKimeramon, "Radiant Garden."

"Wow," said Sora, as a Moogle got his attention.

"Sora," said the Moogle, "I have a delivery request to give you three items."

Moogle summoned out of the Moogle Hyperspace (different that Sora's) and called out the Ultima Keyblade, Save the King Shield, and the Save the Queen Staff. Sora, Goofy, and Donald grabbed their respective weapons, and felt the difference in power immediately. They dismissed the weapons shortly before Aldamon arrived, though he saw the weapons already.

"So, what's up?" asked Aldamon, changing back into Takuya.

"Not much," said Sora, "Saved Space Paranoids. Tron became the new MCP. The usual."

"Sweet," said Takuya, "And don't think I didn't see you guys with the Moogle. You're welcome."

"You mean, you?" asked Sora.

"Yep," said Takuya, before turning and started the trek back to Merlin's house, "It's the least I could do to thank you guys for inviting me in your group."

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Sora, as he, Donald, and Goofy caught up.

"Merlin's place. We all need a good night's sleep, considering everything that's happened. And besides, I would think a bed would be better than the chairs on the Gummy Ship, right?"

Sora didn't have a response for that, as Takuya had a good point. As they again passed the place where the battle with 10-thousand Heartless took place, something went off on Takuya's internal alarms.

'Whoa,' thought Takuya, as he stopped and turned to look past where he battled MetalKimeramon.

The others stopped as well, noticing that Takuya wasn't with him anymore.

"What's up, Takuya?" asked Sora, "I thought we were crashing at Merlin's place."

"Something feels off. I feel the Spirits of Light and Darkness nearby," said Takuya, before realizing something, "Sora, get Cloud and tell him Sephiroth is at the great depths, just past where we all fought the Heartless last time we were here. I'll stall Sephiroth until you get there."

"Why?" asked Sora.

"Something tells me I have business with the both of them," said Takuya, as he ran off towards the ravine.

Sora sighed, knowing that he didn't exactly have a choice in the matter now that Takuya was racing off towards what looked like another battle. So, they headed to the other side of town to get Cloud in hopes of everything becoming resolved soon enough.

* * *

Takuya made it across the Ravine within ten minutes of running, glad that his endurance had improved since joining up with Sora's group. When he got to the great depths, he saw Sephiroth standing there, as if waiting for something or someone.

"So, the great wielder of Darkness, if I am not mistaken," said Takuya, getting his attention.

Sephiroth turned around, before addressing him.

"Battling you would be pointless," said Sephiroth, "If I won, it would be due to your recent battle with that monster. If you won, it would mean nothing as I can't be defeated by anyone but Cloud, and he can never bring himself to do that."

"I don't need to defeat you," replied Takuya, "I just want the spirit that you now hold."

"Really?" said Sephiroth, "And what spirit may I ask is it that you seek?"

"SEPHIROTH!" shouted Cloud, as he, Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived.

"So, the seeker of Darkness returns," said Sephiroth, turning his attention to his other half.

"SHUT UP!" shouted Cloud as he launched himself at Sephiroth with his Buster Blade.

Sephiroth took out his Masamune Blade to counter when Aldamon, who had used the distraction to evolve and get between both of them, blocked them both from each other.

"Takuya!" shouted Sora, Donald, and Goofy, before Sora continued, "What are you doing!"

"Why are you stopping our battle?" asked Cloud, and Sephiroth had to agree with him.

"I'm not stopping anything," replied Aldamon, "And you both have something of mine. If you won't hand it over, I'll have to take it by force. Besides, with the powers of light and darkness on your side, you should have no problem getting little ol' me out of the way."

"I consider you an ally," said Cloud, "But you're getting in my way, so I'll have no other choice than to fight you so I can continue by battle with Sephiroth."

"Fine by me," said Sephiroth, impressed and intrigued by Takuya's inner strength and resolve.

"Let's go!" said Takuya, before disappearing from their sight.

Cloud and Sephiroth couldn't see Aldamon, but that didn't mean they couldn't feel his power. Aldamon appeared in front of them and launched an 'Atomic Inferno' attack at them. They turned to each other and nodded and while Cloud blocked the attack by spinning his blade at high speeds in front of him, Sephiroth used his speed and lengthy blade to attack Aldamon while his guard was done. Aldamon noticed the attack at the last second and managed to dodge with inches between him and the Masamune Blade.

"Not bad," said Sephiroth, smirking, "But let's see you dodge this!"

Aldamon closed his shields and brought them up in time to block Cloud's Buster Sword, the force of which sent him back into Sephiroth. Aldamon used his tail to gain balance with the ground and his wings to take to the air to dodge Sephiroth's next attack. Sephiroth was quick to follow with Cloud right behind him. Aldamon noticed them behind him, and turned around to launch another Atomic Inferno, but Sephiroth's Masamune blade was able to reach far enough to attack Aldamon, canceling his attack, though his shields were still left open. Cloud, now caught up with Sephiroth as Aldamon was falling, used a vertical slash along with Sephiroth. Aldamon reacted instantly, bringing up his shields and catching the blades within his closed shields without harming himself in the process.

"No way!" said Cloud, "No one can do a Double Blade Catch! That's impossible!"

"He's right," said Sephiroth, "One Blade Catch is hard enough to master, but two? No one can ever do that, even with four arms!"

(AN10)

"Sorry," said Aldamon, "But I've been known to do the impossible before, like turn into a Digimon for one, and this just adds to that list."

Aldamon spread his arms apart, leaving both warriors wide open to a twin kick by Aldamon, who let go of their swords to let them go flying. He then flew after them. Cloud and Sephiroth gained back their bearings by landing on a wall and jumped back to attack Aldamon. Aldamon couldn't react in time, and got slashed with both swords for his trouble. When he landed, data appeared around him, turning him back into Takuya. Takuya got up, thoroughly aware that he had changed back, but wasn't scared at all.

"Is that all you got?" said Takuya, breathing heavily as he caught his breath from the attacks that would have killed him had he been in his human form.

Cloud and Sephiroth responded by jumping at Takuya, bringing their swords down in a vertical slash. Takuya lost sight of them as his vision turned black.

(Mental Plane)

Takuya's sight cleared itself and saw the spirits of Water, Thunder, and Metal before him, and the spirits of Fire, Earth, Wood, Wind, and Ice behind him. All eight elements began to glow, five of which rearranged themselves in a distinct diamond pattern.

'Looks like the new spirits are trying to unify my Fire Spirits with the others, just like they did with my Fire Spirits before,' thought Takuya, as he looked at the diamond shape and four words came to mind, 'Time for Round 2!'

(Mental Plane exit)

(AN11)

Takuya jumped in between the blades, twisting his body to avoid touching either of them and brought out his D-Tector once more.

"Looks like I've got a new power, and what better time than now to try it out!" said Takuya, summoning Data around his hand once again; however, a single ring appeared outside at a greater radius that the other lines of Data. Takuya then called out, "UNITY EXECUTE! UNIFIED SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

Data wrapped around Takuya again and expanded to a greater size than even Aldamon was.

"EMPERORGREYMON!" shouted the new Digimon, EmperorGreymon.

(AN12)

EmperorGreymon landed and turned to face Cloud and Sephiroth.

"Ya'know something…" said EmperorGreymon, "Something tells me it's not a good day to be you guys."

Despite the increased strength given by the power of all the spirits working together, EmperorGreymon wasn't any faster than Aldamon, given that he was weighted down by the extra armor he now wore. He brought out his sword, which looked to be a combination of Cloud and Sephiroth's, with the addition of the power of fire to it; it was named the Dragon Soul Sword, and was given that name with good reason. It had the size of a Buster Blade, with most of the length of a Masamune Blade. That combined with his new height, it would feel similar to Cloud's way of handling the sword. Since the other two weren't attack, EmperorGreymon took the time to swing the sword over his head with one hand, something that couldn't be easily done unless your strength was equal to Cloud's in proportion to the height of the controller and the length of the blade itself. Sephiroth snapped to it first and charged in. Cloud realized what EmperorGreymon was doing and shifted to the side, looking for the moment to counterattack.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora and the others could only look on as their friend was battling two of the greatest warriors they had ever met and was holding his own, until his guard was broken and he had reverted to Takuya. Remembering Takuya's words, Sora forced himself not to move to help him. Fortunately, Takuya was back in the game by dodging both of the swords and evolving into a new, stronger form. He realized that Takuya was continuing to grow stronger with each fight, and this fight more so because of such strong opponents. He couldn't help but admire how strong Takuya's heart was, and remembered Hercules's words: A True Hero is measured by the strength of his heart. Sora instantly knew who was most important to him, as Megara was to Hercules. He swore on all that he was, that he would find Kairi, and protect her with his life.

(AN13)

Sora focused in on himself, and felt that another great power was within him, and wanted to be let out, but not all the requirements were met. However, he would wait until the time came, so he could use this power to help Kairi.

* * *

EmperorGreymon smirked as he saw Sephiroth's charge, and Cloud's bait and switch. He stopped swinging his Dragon Soul Sword and held it out in front of him, opening the sword up, the stored up energy glowing, and shouted "Dragonfire Crossbow!" releasing the energy at Sephiroth, who took to the air to dodge the blast. Cloud tried to attack while EmperorGreymon's attention was on his counterpart, but using his quick reflexes, EmperorGreymon managed to block it with his Dragon Soul Sword.

"Not bad," said EmperorGreymon, "However, you need to do better!"

Using his incredible strength, EmperorGreymon overpowered Cloud and sent him into the air, crashing with Sephiroth. EmperorGreymon then pierced the ground with his sword and called out "PYRO DRAGONS!" which brought to life eight fire Dragons around him, with a ninth one underneath. Cloud and Sephiroth, trying to get their bearings back, were unable to block the attack and landed on the ground in a heap. Data appeared around them along with two small figures each.

"Time to get the final Spirits," said EmperorGreymon, taking out his D-Tector, "Fractal Code: Digitize!"

After the final Spirits were taken, Cloud and Sephiroth regained consciousness, aware of their loss, but undeterred as it now freed them of Takuya's interference. They separated and turned to Takuya.

"Is that all?" asked Cloud.

"Thank you," said EmperorGreymon, changing back to Takuya, "Though we didn't HAVE to do that if you had just given me those spirits."

"Enough," said Sephiroth pointing Masamune back at Cloud, "Now that you're meddling is over, it's time to settle this."

"For once, I couldn't agree more," said Cloud.

"However," said Sephiroth, "Our battle will be never ending as long as you hold on to Darkness. So, unless you totally release the Darkness, you will never truly defeat me."

"He doesn't have to," said a familiar voice.

"Tifa!" said Cloud, trying to keep his attention on Sephiroth, "Stay back!"

"Cloud, as long as there's Darkness, there will also be light," explained Tifa, "If you can't find your own light, then use mine!"

Sephiroth then turned his attention on Tifa and started to attack her. Tifa tried to fight back, but the most she could do was avoid Masamune. Cloud couldn't take it anymore and stopped Sephiroth from actually killing Tifa, as both fighters knew she couldn't dodge forever.

"Cloud," said Takuya, "Like Tifa said, you don't have to give up the Darkness. Just make sure the light is there to balance it."

"Alright," said Cloud, "Let's see what this balance can do."

"The Light doesn't suit you," said Sephiroth, getting ready to attack again.

"Light may not suit me, but then again, the same thing could be said about Darkness for you!" said Cloud, as he started to glow with light.

"You can never be rid of me!" shouted Sephiroth, now officially angry.

Sephiroth charged at Cloud, who jumped up to avoid it, Sephiroth jumped up as well, and they both disappeared in a flash of light.

"Where'd they go?" asked Goofy, after the flash of light disappeared and everyone could see again.

"Cloud and Sephiroth are on a journey," said Takuya, as he walked up.

"And once that journey is finished, Cloud and Sephiroth might just make it home," added Sora, figuring out where Takuya was going.

"What about you, Tifa?" asked Takuya.

"I guess I have little choice other than to continue my search," said Tifa, "Nothing like another journey to keep hope alive."

"You'll find him, Tifa," said Takuya, "Just don't look too hard. Sometimes, he's closer than you think."

"Thanks," said Tifa, holding a hand over her heart.

Just then, something metal hit the ground. Sora and the others walked over to it and saw that it looked similar to a summoning charm, or most likely a medallion. However, it was in the shape of a wolf's face, yet only half the face was shown as it was only half a medallion.

"I think Cloud meant to give that to you, as a thank you for helping him," said Tifa, pulling out something of her own, "Here, this is for helping me as well."

Tifa gave over what looked to be the other half of the Wolf's head medallion. The two parts glowed and reconnected, forming the Wolf's head entirely. It then glowed again in Sora's hand, changing into the Fenrir Keyblade. Knowing the power it had, along with the Sleeping Lion, he would use them in his Master Form, as a reminder of the great fighters who gave him these Keyblades. They turned to see Tifa already heading back towards town. She turned back for a moment.

"Oh, I just remembered," said Tifa, "Merlin told me that he wanted to see Takuya as soon as you got back to his house."

"Thanks!" replied Takuya, as Tifa left.

"Wow," said Sora, "That was some fight, Takuya."

"Yeah," said Takuya, before yawning, "But now that it's over, I need some sleep. Let's get back to Merlin's house."

So, despite how tired they were from all the fighting they've had to do since arriving in Hallow Bastion/Radiant Garden, they headed back towards Merlin's house, ready for some sleep.

* * *

Upon arriving, Merlin showed them to their room, which had at least four beds in it, thanks to Merlin's magic. Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't take long before they were fast asleep in separate beds. Takuya stretched, popping some joints to increase blood/data flow throughout his body, so he could stay awake while talking with Merlin.

"So, what's the news?" asked Takuya, sitting down opposite to Merlin at his table.

"I have spoken with Yen Sid, and he said it is possible for your idea to work," said Merlin.

"Yet, I'm sensing a 'but' in here," said Takuya.

"But," said Merlin, as there was no use in denying it, "I'm afraid it will take some time to construct them. I have left the necessary materials, and the three good witches are doing everything in their power to try and help Yen Sid with such an undertaking."

"Alright," said Takuya, "We'll go by Atlantica and help out there as much as we can before heading on to Twilight Town, after visiting Yen Sid's tower again."

"Very well," said Merlin, "I will inform him of your plans, though he may already know about them. In the meantime, you better get your rest as well. Your battles today must have been exhausting."

"Nothing I can't handle," said Takuya, before standing up, with a short burst of Vertigo forcing itself on him. After straightening himself, he turned to see Merlin's look, and replied, "Okay, maybe I do need some rest."

Not two minutes later could you hear a fourth set of snores along with the first three, As Takuya had found a bed of his own and joined the other three in sawing logs.

(AN14)

(Chapter End)

Well, there you go. Hopefully that will spawn some interest now.

LR: Well, seeing as how you diverted from the main plot points to add in your Digital twists, it shows you're actually capable of holding your own.

Dx: Hey, that's my line. And how did you know all that?

LR: Everything regarding this story and the original are in the memory banks. I know this one is still in progress, but the original game plays are completed and I've seen ahead a bit. Quite interesting what happens later.

RDF1: I know. But we don't need any spoilers, LR, so it's best to just keep it to yourself, or to the other OCs.

LR: Alright.

Okay guys, what's next, you ask? Well, nothing other than the entire Atlantica visits all in one chapter.

I hope everyone enjoyed this one.

(Character Bios)

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin, Gullwing, Sleeping Lion, Fenrir.

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, Wind, Water, Thunder, Metal, Light, and Darkness

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon, EmperorGreymon

Status: True Hero

New Attack: Atomic Inferno Drill

* * *

Okay, time for Author Notes.

AN1: In case you aren't in the know, this is including Lion King 1½ into the story. As it's just another part to the Original Lion King, I didn't see any reason to leave them out.

AN2: Yes, this is hinting at the precursor to Lion King 2, and the missing son of Simba and Nala.

AN3: Again, precursor to Lion King 2, as hinted by the names given.

AN4: As Takuya has never been to Space Paranoids, he as not seen, let alone faced, these Heartless before now.

AN5: Not the actual entry, but something I made up that holds some truth to it.

AN6: I honestly don't remember where I got this from, but it's not my idea. And NO, it's not from Naruto. It's not Sasugay's Lion barrage. I know that much.

AN7: I know this Digimon doesn't exist, but as I said, it's mix and match. So, I just looked up what each part would Digivolve into, and since it was mostly metal upon evolving, I just decided to go with MetalKimeramon.

AN8: This is taken from the first episode, just abridged, so to speak.

AN9: This is what I've created for their first meeting. This is during the week that Roxas isn't in the Organization, and during the week while Riku wasn't interacting with Roxas, he was helping Mickey help Takuya adjusting to the new information, worlds, etc.

AN10: This is something inspired out of the first battle with Cherubimon. If Aldamon can catch lightning, then why not a sword?

AN11: Well, considering the original means to obtain this level, I've decided to alter it to grant a bit more power.

AN12: If you want a depiction of how this looks, and you haven't seen Digimon Frontier, I suggest looking it up on Wikipedia, Google, or any other image search engine. Just about every one of them would have at least one image of EmperorGreymon.

AN13: Well, considering how much Sora is learning about being a True Hero, he's making strides to achieve just that. However, considering he doesn't know what Takuya figured out in the last battle, he's just a step behind Takuya in that regard. Don't worry, if you know anything about this game, then you know what happens next, or at least an idea. (LOL)

AN14: I don't know how long this takes, or how often Sora, Donald, and Goofy get a chance to sleep, so I'll give them this chance on screen, or rather mentioned in the fic. After Takuya's day, I'd say he needs some rest as well.

I believe that's all. Unless there's something I'm missing.

Jenny: I don't think so.

RDF1: Thanks, Jenny.

Until the next chapter…

Later,

RDF1


	10. A week of water, and new Charms

RDF1: (Groans)

Dx: What's up?

RDF1: This next chapter. I keep reminding myself why this isn't as good as it could be originally. I mean, it's underwater, Sora's a merman, and we get to hear a few excellent songs from the soundtrack.

LR: So, what's the matter?

Jenny: It's the fact that any 'battling' done here is done solely through reaction commands and singing.

LR: Oh. WHY DOES THE GAME **HAVE** TO DO THIS TO SUCH AN EXCELLENT WORLD!

Dx: Took the words right out of my mouth.

RDF1: What's also sad is what I am going to add, yet it won't be fully in the story, just a mentioning.

Dx: If it's about him…

RDF1: Yes, considering this IS the Little Mermaid world we're dealing with. I have to make some mention of him because of how disappointing Disney was in leaving him out.

If you have guessed 'Urchin' as the person (merman) whom I made reference to, then kudos to you. Sad to say, I can't fully add him in without completely ruining the timeline, as it would be incredibly difficult to include him in here. Anyone who is an Urchin fan, I whole heartily agree that Urchin should have been in the films. Oh well, time to begin the fic.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything other than the idea(s), etc.

Note: Takuya's participation will NOT be in songs, so much as other things. (LOL) Also, this chapter is for anyone who doesn't like Takuya that much and just wants him humiliated to a certain extent. Just something humorous against him that would otherwise be sad and pathetic.

Note2: Funny how both Pacey8444 and VIIBram have the same part number for Atlantica.

Note3: Sorry if this is shorter than you expect, but I'm trying to set up a few things for the next chapter. Will end off with a visit to Yen Sid's; so don't worry.

LET'S GO!

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_Upon arriving, Merlin showed them to their room, which had at least four beds in it, thanks to Merlin's magic. Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't take long before they were fast asleep in separate beds. Takuya stretched, popping some joints to increase blood/data flow throughout his body, so he could stay awake while talking with Merlin._

"_So, what's the news?" asked Takuya, sitting down opposite to Merlin at his table._

"_I have spoken with Yen Sid, and he said it is possible for your idea to work," said Merlin._

"_Yet, I'm sensing a 'but' in here," said Takuya._

"_But," said Merlin, as there was no use in denying it, "I'm afraid it will take some time to construct them. I have left the necessary materials, and the three good witches are doing everything in their power to try and help Yen Sid with such an undertaking."_

"_Alright," said Takuya, "We'll go by Atlantica and help out there as much as we can before heading on to Twilight Town, after visiting Yen Sid's tower again."_

"_Very well," said Merlin, "I will inform him of your plans, though he may already know about them. In the meantime, you better get your rest as well. Your battles today must have been exhausting."_

"_Nothing I can't handle," said Takuya, before standing up, with a short burst of Vertigo forcing itself on him. After straightening himself, he turned to see Merlin's look, and replied, "Okay, maybe I do need some rest."_

_Not two minutes later could you hear a fourth set of snores along with the first three, As Takuya had found a bed of his own and joined the other three in sawing logs._

(Recap End)

The next morning, the four of them woke up within ten minutes of each other. After having a good breakfast, made by Aerith and Yuffie, who surprised them with her good skills, they left Radiant Garden for Atlantica.

(AN1)

(Gummy Ship)

"Alright," said Takuya, "To Atlantica."

"Uh, Takuya?" asked Sora.

"Yeah, what?" replied Takuya.

"You DO know Atlantica is underwater, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, being a fire creature and all, don't you think any of your Digivolutions would be hindered underwater?"

"Good point," said Takuya, knowing where Sora was going with this, "But if I can handle staying as Flamon in the Pride Lands, I don't think I could do worse underwater."

(Atlantica)

Takuya couldn't be more wrong. When they landed, data covered his form, something that didn't happen before that he was aware of. When the data went away, something felt different. He felt shorter, and not at all the same as before. His eyes widened as he realized what was wrong and looked at his hands to confirm it.

"Oh boy," said Donald, "Under the sea again!"

"Well," said Takuya, in a decidedly feminine voice with a southern accent, "I declare. It's bad enough I'm proven wrong, but for the World to select this form from my D-Tector…"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned around to see, not Takuya, but a short blue girl wearing a helmet, looking like an underwater female warrior.

(AN2)

"Takuya?" asked Sora, trying to get back his bearings form the last time he was here over a year ago.

"In the Digital Flesh, Hun," said Ranamon, her southern accent as strong as the REAL Ranamon's, "And don't worry about anything I say; it's just the personality of the spirit I'm using."

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!" said Ariel, swimming into the clearing, "It's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you again too, Ariel," said Sora, still trying to find his balance.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten how to swim already," said Ariel, swimming around Sora like it was nothing, and it kind of was.

"Kinda," said Sora.

"By the way, who's your friend?" asked Ariel.

"This is Takuya, but this isn't his natural form."

"'His?'" said Ariel, confused about the boy(girl(?)) in front of her, "She looks like a girl to me."

"Well, Sugar, 'Appearances can be deceiving', and all that," said Ranamon.

"In any case," said Sebastian, advisor to King Triton, "If you don't remember how to swim, you need to practice! Just follow Flounder, he'll show you what's up and down again."

"I believe I can do fine with these legs of mine," said Ranamon, swimming like any human swimmer would, "Why don't you boys go for it?"

"Alright," said Sora.

"Come on Sora, follow me," said Flounder, starting to swim around in basic movements to show the others.

After about ten minutes of practicing, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were getting the hang of it again.

"Now, den," said Sebastian, his accent strong as before, "What brings you back to these waters?"

"Not sure," said Sora.

"If something's wrong," said Ranamon, "It hasn't shown up yet."

"He's right," said Goofy, "Everything seems peaceful right now."

"Well, it is," replied Ariel, "As long as Daddy is in a good mood."

"I don't know if this is good timing or not, but we've got a musical next week and I think it would be a good idea if you joined in," said Sebastian, swimming up to Sora, "Please say yes! Ariel's been acting stranger than usual. Maybe if you're dere, she'll get her head back to the musical."

"Sounds fun," said Donald.

"Why not?" added Sora.

"No thanks," said Ranamon, "MY real voice is bad enough. I don't even WANT to know how badly Ranamon sings."

"Maybe it's not Ranamon who'll be the bad singer," teased Sora.

Ranamon just turned away, ignoring Sora and swam down to the floor to sit on an undersea rock. Sora wondered what was up with Takuya, but figured it was probably Ranamon's form that was irking him.

"So, what do we do?" asked Sora, turning his attention back on Sebastian.

"Just follow the beat and feel de rhythm," replied Sebastian, giving a music cue.

Sebastian guided Sora and the others, who felt the beat in their mind and moved with the melody. Sora even did a finishing pose with Ariel. After they were done, Sebastian congratulated them on a job well done, even going so far as to tell them they were welcome in any performance as long as they spoke to him about it first. Ranamon swam back up, seeing that they were finished.

"So," said Sebastian, "How about trying your dance moves on the real dance floor."

"I don't know," said Sora.

"Aw, Sugar," said Ranamon, "I don't see the harm in it. Besides, it's something to do since there aren't any Heartless around."

"He's got a point, Sora," rationalized Donald.

Sora sighed, knowing he couldn't argue that logic.

"Fine, we'll do it," agreed Sora.

"Thanks," said Ariel, "It'll be good to have friends performing as well."

So, everyone headed for the performance hall where Ranamon took a seat out in the audience to watch and hear the rehearsal. As 'he' watched, 'he' wondered why they were there if there was no Heartless.

'It couldn't be the musicals,' thought Takuya, 'That makes even less sense than Heartless, which doesn't make much in this world to begin with.'

'**Well,**' replied Ranamon's voice, '**What if it's due to the actual progression of this world's destiny?**'

'Don't know Ranamon,' said Takuya, hardly phased as hearing Ranamon's voice, as it IS her body he inhabited at the moment, 'We'll find out soon enough.'

Soon, King Triton swam into the performance hall, hearing the music from outside. Ariel shied away, which intrigued Ranamon a bit, and 'he' swam up to join the others.

"Your Majesty!" said Sebastian, giving a proper greeting for everyone, "We have visitors!"

"King Triton," said Sora.

"I certainly hope there hasn't been a need to use that Keyblade of yours."

"Nope," replied Sora truthfully, "Haven't seen a Heartless yet."

"Well, the Keyblade may not be needed, but that's not to say you haven't been using magic," pitched in Ranamon.

"And who is this?" asked Triton.

"This is Takuya," said Sora, "He's a new friend of ours. Don't worry, 'he' isn't usually in this form, or this chipper."

"I see," said Triton, with a small bit of doubt.

"Your Majesty," said Sebastian, "Sora, Donald, and Goofy wish to join in de musical."

"I don't see why not," said Triton, approaching Sora and speaking softer, "It might be beneficial if you three were to help in this. It might just keep her mind off the human world above the surface."

"I don't know, Hun," said Ranamon, "From what I know of your daughter, she can be quite stubborn; a quality you don't lack yourself, huh?"

"True," sighed Triton, "But it wouldn't hurt to try."

So, they decided to stay for the week and participate in the musical. The next day, in between rehearsals, Ariel was out of the kingdom, thinking about a certain Prince again. Nothing could get her back into the rehearsal, until Flounder had an idea.

"You guys go on ahead, I need to speak with King Triton," said Ranamon.

So, while the others followed Flounder, Ranamon made 'his' way to the palace, and thus the throne room. Having made an official appointment the day before, the guards were expecting 'him' and let 'him' through without too much hassle. When 'he' approached the throne room, King Triton was just finishing a few papers that needed his signature for something or another.

"Welcome, Takuya," said King Triton, "What did you wish to speak with me about?"

"Well, Sugar," said Ranamon, "Ariel seems like the girl who would have many friends around here. So how come she's not hanging out with any of them? I though she would have other merfriends her own age and everything."

"She did," replied King Triton, his voice giving off a sad tone as he spoke, "She had a good friend named Urchin. For the past few years they went on many adventures that would otherwise have killed them, if not for their personalities and great friendship with one another."

"So, what happened to the boy?" asked Ranamon, now interested.

"He left one day, to go on a great journey across the seas, to become a great warrior worthy of protecting Princess Ariel and our Kingdom. We received letters from him about once a month until about five months ago when the letters ceased. We have no idea why, and his last letter gave no indication that they were to stop. There are only two conclusions I could think of, and both I won't share with Ariel. One, he perished somewhere in a battle of sorts, or two, he stopped making contact either by his own means, or someone else's. Neither conclusion could keep my daughter's heart from breaking. She and Urchin were close."

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," said Ranamon, "No wonder she wants to learn more about the Surface World, given what happened down below; Urchin must have been a great friend."

"He was," said Triton, before noticing Sebastian, "You're late, Sebastian. Anything wrong?"

"No! Nothing, your Majesty," said Sebastian, a little hurriedly, swimming up to King Triton.

"So," said Triton, "How goes the song for the musical?"

"Wonderful, your Majesty," replied Sebastian, "I finished just moments ago. That is the reason for my tardiness, sir. I made sure it would celebrate all things wonderful here in de ocean."

"Will it get Ariel's mind off the Human World?" asked Triton.

"Most likely," said Sebastian, "I'm almost sure of it."

"'Almost' doesn't seem to be enough sometimes, sugar," said Ranamon, "I have an idea that just might work."

"You sure?" pressed Triton, "You cannot directly interfere with our world affairs, mind you."

"Of course," said Ranamon, a smile on 'his' face, "I'm not gonna say it WILL work, just that something tells me it will have an effect."

"Very well," said Triton, "Go with Sebastian and see if you can't help Ariel."

"Sure thing, Hun," said Ranamon, with a small salute, courtesy of Takuya's personality, and swam off with Sebastian.

(AN3)

* * *

As they approached the clearing where Ariel and the others were, they saw her in the same state she usually was in when not needed by anything in Atlantica, musical or otherwise.

(AN4)

"Dis won't work," said Sebastian as they approached Sora, Donald, and Goofy, "They aren't good enough yet."

"You'd be surprised, sugar," said Ranamon.

"What won't work?" asked Sora.

"You see my point," whispered Sebastian in a deadpan.

"What the little crab means is," said Ranamon, as to try and cover up an insult, "He thinks you don't have what it takes to help Ariel out with this song."

"Really," said Sora, feeling a challenge, "Let's see it."

Sebastian gave the song paper to Sora and the three of them looked it over.

'This IS a challenge,' thought Sora, 'but not something I can't handle. I'll show Sebastian how good I can do.'

"Well," said Ranamon, landing down on the ocean floor for a good seat, "Start the music and let's hear that beat."

Sebastian landed in front of a group of clamshells that doubled as kettledrums equivalents from the surface world.

(AN5)

(Under the Sea)

Sora: The Seaweed is always greener, in somebody else's lake

Sebastian: You dream about going up there…

But that is a big mistake

Just look at the world around you

Right here on the ocean floor

Such wonderful things surround you

What more is you looking for?

Under the sea

Under the sea

Sora: Darling, it's better down where it's wetter

Take it from me

Sebastian: Up on the shore they work all day…

Out in the sun they slave away…

While we devoting full time to floating…

Under the sea

Sebastian: Under the sea

Snails: Under the sea

Sebastian: Under the sea

Snails: Under the sea

Sebastian: Since life is sweet here, we got the beat here, naturally

Sora: Even the sturgeon and the ray

Ariel: They get the urge and start to play

Sebastian: We got the spirit, you've got to hear it…

Under the sea

Sora/Sebastian/Ariel: Under the sea

Snails: Under the sea

Sora/Sebastian/Ariel: Under the sea

Snails: Under the sea

Ariel: When the sardine begin the beguine

It's music to me

Sebastian: What do they got? A lot of sand

We've got a hot crustacean band!

Ariel: Each little clam here

Know how to jam here…

Sebastian: Under the sea

Ariel/Sora: Each little slug here

Cutting a rug here

Sebastian: Under the sea

Each little snail here, know how to wail here,

Sora: That's why it's hotter

Ariel: Under the water

Sebastian: Ya, we in luck here

Down in the muck here…

Sora/Ariel/Sebastian: UNDER THE SEA!

(Music ends)

Ranamon gave a small applause. Sebastian approached Ariel.

"So, what do you think, Ariel?" asked the Crab adviser.

"It's a great song, especially for the musical," said Ariel, a little nervous, "But, it's just not what _I_ want to sing."

Sebastian gasped, his plan failed horribly.

"I wanna sing about how our two worlds can live in harmony – land and sea together!"

(AN6)

"I would be Crab Chowder if the King got wind of that!" exclaimed Sebastian.

"If you won't listen, then I won't sing at all," replied Ariel.

"Hold on, Sugar," said Ranamon, taking Ariel by the hand and leading her away from the others, "I think I have a better way on how to approach that."

Unfortunately, this left Sebastian to think out loud enough for King Triton to hear him.

"Ariel's in love with a HUMAN!" exclaimed the King of Atlantica, "And where's Takuya. I thought 'he' had a plan that would help!"

"He's talking with her right now," said Sebastian, trying to save what little dwindling hope he had of surviving, "Maybe 'he' can talk some sense into her where we could not."

"I hope so," said Triton, "While I agree with Ariel that not ALL humans are bad, I highly doubt any human from this world would prove to be so."

"Maybe if Urchin was here, he could help," said Sebastian, a little sad that the boy wasn't there to help.

"I don't think that would do much good anyways," said King Triton, "He loves enough to let her go if it came to that. I just wish something would help her understand how humans are in this world."

(AN7)

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranamon finally let go of Ariel, after getting some distance away from Sebastian.

"I know how ya feel, Sugar," said Ranamon, "But couldn't you keep it inside. You could please your father by at least ignoring the Human World around him."

"Like he wouldn't see through it," replied Ariel, "My sisters always say I'm more like my father than any of them, and I found myself to be proud of that fact."

"Even if it gets you into trouble?" countered Ranamon.

"Daddy told you about that, huh?" asked Ariel a bit sheepishly.

"It's okay. To be honest, I like my world's Digital World more than the Real world at this moment, even WITH the dangers it holds."

"Well, if you want to know why I love the human world so much here, then follow me," said Ariel, heading up to the surface.

When they reached the surface, everyone looked towards shore and saw Eric on the beach.

"Is that him, Sugar?" asked Ranamon.

"Yeah," said Ariel, almost breathlessly.

"That's a fine catch, Hun," congratulated Ranamon, "If anyone can do it, you can."

"Don't make me sick," said Sora, feeling disgusted that 'Takuya' was talking about another guy like that.

Ranamon turned to him, and said, "Sora, Sugar, I'm in the body of one of the most flirtatious Digimon you'll ever meet. That fact that she's female doesn't help matters for me."

It didn't help much, as Sora's face didn't change.

"Why don't we go over and say something?" asked Donald.

"NO!" said Ariel, "Contact with the Human World is forbidden. They can't know about us."

"Oh," said Ranamon, "So, I guess saving his life would mean breaking the law, even if it WAS saving his life?"

"You know what I mean," said/whined Ariel, "Besides, what would he say: 'Let's go for a swim?'"

(AN8)

Soon, Eric turned and headed back to his castle, saddened that the voice didn't return. He was so disheartened by that fact that he didn't notice he dropped something out of his pocket. It landed in the ocean and got swept out to sea. By the time the others reached it, it was stuck between two rocks, and unable to be reached by any of them.

"Hey Sora," said Ranamon, "Isn't there a spell that could work here?"

Sora thought about it, and realized he DID know a spell. He called out his Ultima Keyblade and summoned the charm to him with 'Magnera'. After retrieving the item, he gave it to Ariel and they headed back her grotto.

"Thank you, Sora," said Ariel, "I know he'll want this back. This is great."

Sora was silent, as he had heard the door to the grotto open and King Triton swam in.

"And just who is this he?" said King Triton, interested that Ariel found someone, but wary that it would be this 'human' Sebastian spoke of.

"Daddy," whispered Ariel in fear, confirming her father's fears.

"Ariel," said Triton, "You know how dangerous humans are in this world!"

"You don't even know him!" countered Ariel, "I know that you don't like humans in this world, but they can't ALL be as bad as you say."

"Oh, and I suppose we should just forget that it was HUMANS in this world that took your mother away!" rebutted King Triton; playing a card he never wanted to play again.

"HE'S NOT LIKE THOSE HUMANS!" shouted Ariel, "And I'm gonna prove it to you!"

"So help me Ariel," said Triton, not wanting to shout at his daughter anymore, but she just wouldn't listen to reason, "I will get through to you. Even if this is how!"

He used the power in his Trident to blast the statue of Prince Eric, the human Ariel had fallen in love with. In tears, Ariel swam out of the grotto, Sora, Donald, and Goofy behind her.

"Well," said Ranamon, "No one can say you do anything halfway."

"And what about you!" said Triton, turning to 'him', "You said you could help her with this."

"I wasn't so foolhardy as to think it could actually work. Besides, this isn't just about Ariel's mother is it?" replied Ranamon, "You think Humans may be one reason why Urchin hasn't made contact, or returned to Atlantica!"

"She knows the danger Humans in this world pose!"

"She knows, and still tries to see how much is true. The Pirates that took your wife away were here around decade or so ago, right? I may not know these Pirates, but from what I do know is that they never stay in the same place that long."

"You would never understand!" urged Triton, "Losing the one you love to a place you enjoyed as much as your own home is a betrayal on many levels!"

(AN9)

"Look," sighed Ranamon, "If Ariel is really your daughter, then I'm sure she'll find a way to prove you wrong, even IF you refuse to admit to anyone other than yourself."

With that, Ranamon left King Triton and headed after Sora, Donald and Goofy. When she found them, they were helping Ariel up to the surface, and she had two legs where her tail was before. Ranamon joined them when they got to the surface and took her to the shore. After getting the last of the water out of her lungs, they had to leave her there, after seeing Prince Eric on his way down to the shore. They hid while Prince Eric found her and she was able to return his pendant to him. They headed back to the castle after that, and Sora, Ranamon, Donald, and Goofy headed back down to clearing outside of Atlantica.

"That went well," said Sora.

"Three days might just work," said Ranamon, who had been filled in on the contract details, "If Ursula can mind her own business."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Sebastian, who was waiting for them in the clearing, "And I double-checked the contract. It IS binding, not even King Triton can break it. Ursula's apart of this world, and as such, so are her contracts, so you can't directly interfere with this."

"Well," said Sora, "It never said anything about us watching, right?"

"Yeah," said Ranamon, "But let's get some sleep first, it's late and Ariel's probably already fighting off sleep as best she can in her new environment."

So, they went to bed, hoping the next three days would prove better for Ariel.

(Time Change)

Everything was going alright for the first two days. The night of the second day had Eric bring Ariel out on the sea in a small rowboat. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Ranamon joined Flounder, who was already there.

"Hey," said Sora, "Where's Sebastian?"

"King Triton has him for a meeting, since he IS the King's advisor and all," replied Flounder.

"Do you think he'll him about Ariel?" asked Goofy.

"If King Triton find out about this, he may just banish us from this world," said Sora.

"What happened to Ursula?" asked Flounder.

"We couldn't find her," said Donald, "She's disappeared."

"Uh oh," said Ranamon, before making a beeline for the boat, underwater.

"Takuya! Get back here!" shouted Sora, but neither Ranamon, nor Eric or Ariel could hear him.

The looked towards the boat, seeing Eric and Ariel get closer, until the boat rocked, and Ariel ended up in Eric's arms.

Meanwhile, underwater, Ranamon swam as fast as 'he' could, and grabbed the Eels, Flotsam and Jetsam (who were responsible for the boat rocking), by their tails, preventing them from escaping.

"What was that for!" demanded Ranamon.

"We cannot help it if the boat gets in the way of our swimming path," said Flotsam.

"I guess we're in the wrong place at wrong time," added Jetsam.

"Don't play dumb," said Ranamon, "Did Ursula send you to interfere like that!"

"Our mistress is forbidden by her own contracts to directly interfere. However, those that choose to work against the terms of the contract for the one who agreed to the terms aren't bound by those same terms," explained Flotsam.

"And since this world is not your own," added Jetsam, "Then you have no other choice but to not directly interfere as well."

'Not directly interfere, huh' thought Takuya.

'**Give you any ideas, Hun?**' asked Ranamon.

'Could you please stop calling me that,' replied Takuya, 'but, yes, I do have an idea.'

Unfortunately, Ranamon found out the hard way of why you shouldn't hold onto Electric Eels for too long as Flotsam and Jetsam shocked Ranamon off of them and they swam away. Ranamon was paralyzed and couldn't move until Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Flounder swam up, and Sora casted a healing spell to get rid of the paralysis.

(AN10)

"Thanks, Sugar," said Ranamon.

"What was that all about?" asked Sora.

"Ursula's using every trick she's got to indirectly interfere with Ariel's chances. I'm afraid she's gonna try a last ditch effort tomorrow."

"What should we do?" asked Goofy.

"Anything we can," said Ranamon, smirking, "Indirectly of course."

"We're going to search for her underwater to see if we can't stop her before then."

"Go," said Ranamon, before turning to Flounder, "We may need your help tomorrow. Get some rest and make sure to be here to see if Ariel can kiss Eric by sundown tomorrow."

"What are you going to do?" asked Flounder.

"I don't know," admitted Ranamon.

(Time Change)

Even searching the entire sea, Sora, Donald, and Goofy couldn't find any trace of Ursula. The sun was soon to set and they decided to head back to see Ariel, to see if she was able to complete her side of the contract. When they surfaced, they saw Ranamon, looking peeved.

"Sorry, Takuya," said Sora, "But, we couldn't find her anywhere."

"I found her," said Ranamon, "But Ariel wouldn't let me in the castle to take care of her. She said it would violate her side of the contract."

"WHAT!" exclaimed the three of them.

"She's at the shore if you want to speak with her," said Ranamon, before diving back down to cool off a bit.

Ignoring Ranamon at the moment, they approached where Ariel was and Flounder was there. He said that Ariel had been there since early afternoon, after preventing Ranamon from storming the castle. Just then, they heard Ariel's voice, singing 'Part of Your World' to a hypnotized Eric.

"That's so direct!" said Sora, "She's violating the contract."

"It's not as direct as you think," said Ranamon, surfacing again, "She's using his own will against himself and Ariel, making it his own unwilling choice to leave Ariel."

"If she can get away with that," said Sora puling out the Ultima, "Then the contract can't say anything against this!"

Sora shot out a blast of magic that destroyed the shell around Ursula's neck, allowing Ariel's voice to return to her. Eric woke up out of his trance and saw and heard Ariel speak again. Eric realized what had happened, and that Ariel save him that day.

"Ariel!" shouted Ranamon, "KISS HIM NOW!"

"I don't think so!" replied Ursula, back in her original form, "Take a look!"

They all realized what she meant and saw the sun setting on the ocean, the third day completed without a kiss, meaning that Ariel had failed in her part of the contract. Ursula used that distraction to grab Ariel and jump back into the water. Ariel turned back into a mermaid shortly after that, so she didn't drown.

"Let's go!" said Ranamon, diving down, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy right behind 'him'.

When they caught up with Ursula, Sora yelled for her to stop.

"Oh please," said Ursula, turning around, with Ariel still struggling against her grip, "This is a BINDING Contract. That means you and your little Keyblade have no jurisdiction on this matter."

"That contract's no good!" said Sora, "You broke your side of the deal."

"Oh please," said Ursula, "the bottom line is Ariel and Eric didn't kiss, so that makes her mine!"

"LET HER GO!" shouted King Triton, who came swimming in a fury, blasting Ursula with his Trident.

However, one of Ursula's Tentacles was holding the contract, which protected her from the blast.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty," fake apologized Ursula, "But not even the KING can go around breaking any Binding Contracts as he sees fit."

"You tricked my daughter!"

"And gave her what she wanted: to experience life on the surface world," countered Ursula.

"Daddy, I'm sorry!" said Ariel.

"It's okay, Ariel," said Triton, "And I'm sorry I pushed you to this."

"There's nothing you can do about this," said Ursula, a devious smile appearing on her face, "Unless you wish to take her place, as it is written in the fine print of all my contracts."

"I guess I have no other choice," said Triton, before using his trident to magically exchange his name for Ariel's.

"DADDY! NO!" shouted Ariel, but it was too late.

King Triton fell under the effects of the contract immediately, leaving the Trident to be grabbed by Ursula.

"HEY!" said Ranamon, "That should go to Ariel, or one of her sisters!"

"And a shrimp's going to force me to do that?" countered Ursula questioningly.

"I'll show you a shrimp!" growled Ranamon, before changing into Calmaramon, "Who's the shrimp now!"

It wasn't what he wanted to do, but being called shrimp in Ranamon's body irked not only him, but Ranamon as well. They BOTH wanted to put her in her place. Before Ursula could use the Trident however, a stray spear cut her left arm. Everyone turned to see that Eric had thrown the spear and started swimming back to the surface, before he ran out of air. Flotsam and Jetsam swam after him, only for Sora, Donald and Goofy to get in the way. However, it was all for naught as Ursula laughed and used the Trident's power to grow to the size of a giant. Everyone swam for the surface, knowing that they had to stop Ursula, no matter the cost.

(AN11)

Calmaramon used her main tentacles to launch herself into the air, change into Ranamon to get higher than Ursula.

"Ursula!" said Ranamon, "You give 'Fat lady singing' a whole different meaning."

He changed back to Calmaramon and used "Titanic Tempest" on Ursula. Ursula caught 'her' with her left hand, leaving her right hand open for Sora to jump out of the water and knock the Trident out of her hand. The Trident fell in the boat, giving Eric an idea.

"No!" said Ursula in fear, dropping Calmaramon back into the ocean, "It's not possible."

"It's over Ursula," finalized Sora diving back into the water.

"That belongs to me!" demanded Ursula.

"Well, if you want it so badly," replied Eric, smirking himself, and heaved the Trident like a Javelin or Spear, "Here! Take it!"

The Trident struck true as it skewered Ursula, causing a backlash of magic overloading within her body, destroying her forever. After her body sank into the sea where it disappeared into ink, Ariel resurfaced as Eric was looking for her.

"Ariel," said Eric, "You can come out now. Everything's okay."

When Ariel didn't move, Eric was surprised a bit, but even more so when Ariel jumped out of the water, showing her true form to the Human Prince.

'Dang,' thought Eric, 'I really WASN'T dreaming when she saved me. She really DOES have a tail.'

"You see, Eric," said Ariel, feeling her heart break already at losing yet another she cared about.

"This can't be," said Eric, removing all denials from his mind.

"I wanted to tell you," said Ariel, "But there's a law against Merpeople having contact with the Human World.

"To think," said Eric, his tone being misread by Ariel.

"Eric, goodbye," finished Ariel, turning to head back home to Atlantica.

"All that time we spent together and not once did I suggest we go swimming," continued Eric, surprising Ariel more than she did just moments ago.

Ariel gasped, she was just kidding when she said that to Ranamon, but he actually said that. Eric dived off the rowboat and swam over to Ariel.

"Guess we should do that now, while there's still time," said Eric.

"I'd love to swim with you, Eric," said Ariel, her heart feeling more whole than it had been in years.

"Alright," said Sora, from where he was watching along with Donald and Goofy.

Ranamon noticed King Triton had surfaced to see what had happened, and swam over to him.

"Do you want me to say it?" asked Ranamon, 'his' teasing voice returning.

"It's okay," said Triton, "The only thing I'm sad about, is how much I'm going to miss her. I'll bet the entire Kingdom will seem down for a while. Here, give this to Sora."

Triton summoned a small sphere of energy from his Trident and handed it to Ranamon.

"Alright," said Ranamon, "We'll see you back in Atlantica."

"Thank you," said Triton, before heading down with Sebastian.

Ranamon swam back to Sora and handed him Triton's gift. The sphere transformed into the Mysterious Abyss Keyblade, which Sora sent into Hyperspace.

* * *

The next morning, Ariel met with her father, making arrangements for to be able to see Eric. While Triton believed Eric would be but one of a few exceptions, he was still a father, and still felt the need to be strict in order to keep Ariel safe.

"That Eric's a great guy," said Sora, "Not to mention brave."

"Now who's sounding homo," teased Ranamon.

Sora just rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"That's true," said Sebastian, approaching the four of them, "However, he IS still a Human, and the law must be upheld. Ariel can only go see him when he is alone, for now.

"Well, that's a rip off," said Sora.

"Considering the alternative," said Ariel, as she and Flounder swam up to them after finishing her meeting with her father, "I'll take my small gifts as they come. Besides, my father agreed he would turn me human after the festival, so I can be with Eric on the surface."

"That's great, Sugar," said Ranamon, in her ever southern accent.

"I've got to hurry," said Ariel, "I have to meet with Eric soon if I'm gonna make it back for the final rehearsal."

Ariel headed for the surface after that, to spend time with Eric before the final rehearsal that afternoon.

"Speaking of which," said Flounder, "Sebastian, King Triton said this better be your best musical yet, as it's also going to be a goodbye party for Ariel afterwards. King Triton will make the announcement after the performance."

"With Sora, Donald, and Goofy's help," replied Sebastian, "I know this will have a chance at what he hopes it to be. Now, we need to get everything set up for the rehearsal. Let's head to the music hall, sea folk."

(Time Change)

After Ariel returned from the surface, everyone got together to make the rehearsal a blast. After they finished, they had a group supper together before returning to the hall to take their places. When it was show time, Sebastian took his place as the Maestro of the Orchestra.

'Well, Ranamon,' thought Takuya, as the musical performance went on, 'I have to say it wasn't the worst thing in the world, inhabiting your body.'

'**Why thanks, Sugar,**' replied Ranamon, '**I just hope you get back home to that sweet thang I call a rival.**'

'I'll return everything to the way it was, I promise.'

'**You'd better, otherwise everyone's going to be wonder why you suddenly got all the spirits upon your return to the Digital World.**'

After the Performance, a bubble, much like the ones that had been used in the songs Sora had sung in over the past week, appeared and started glowing a familiar glow. Sora took out the Ultima Keyblade and unlocked the new pathway.

"Sora's what's happening?" asked Ariel.

"A new pathway has opened up," said Sora.

"What!" exclaimed Sebastian, "You're gonna leave us, now!"

"Now, don't get your shell in a knot," said Ranamon, "Just because we have to leave, doesn't mean it's goodbye."

"He's right," said Donald, "It'll never be goodbye."

"That's right," added Goofy, "A-one, two, three, four:

Sora/Donald/Goofy: Even though we're hittin' the road, our worlds are all connected

Sora: Which means

Sora/Donald/Goofy: We are free to come and go

Donald: And sing!

Sora/Donald/Goofy: So don't be sad, and always know, we'll come back soon to say hello!

Ranamon sweatdropped, before deadpanning, "Guys, never sing without music ever again."

This got a laugh of Ariel and her sisters. As they said goodbye, King Triton approached the center of the stage, to announce the union between Ariel and Eric, and the alliance that will be forged from it. Hopefully, this would dawn a new age of peace between Atlantica and the Surface World, or at least Eric's Kingdom.

(AN12)

* * *

(Gummy Ship)

After they returned to their human forms, Takuya immediately let out a shout of joy.

"You seem happy," said Sora, relaxing in his chair after so many long hours of having a tail and no legs.

"Well, you try being a girl and see if your not happy being a boy again!" countered Takuya, heading over to the ship's controls, "Anyways, before we head to Twilight Town, we need to make a quick stop first."

"What do you mean?" asked Donald, "I thought we were going straight to the Organization's Headquarters?"

"We are," replied Takuya, setting in the course for Master Yen Sid's Tower, "I just need to stop by and see Master Yen Sid once more before we head off. I asked Merlin to help me with something and with the help of Master Yen Sid, they were able to complete it."

"What's going on?" asked Sora, his nerves feeling slightly perturbed.

"I'll tell you soon enough," said Takuya, activating the ship's engines, "Right now, I need to speak with Yen Sid."

Takuya headed over to the phone and contacted Merlin, asking him to inform Master Yen Sid that they would arrive soon.

When they got to the tower, they immediately headed to the top of the tower. Master Yen Sid was waiting for them when they got there.

"Welcome, my friends," said Yen Sid, "It has taken more time than we thought, but we have managed to complete the charms less than an hour ago."

"Thank you," said Takuya, accepting the charms, "I hope they work, for everyone's sake."

"I cannot guarantee anything, as nothing of this sort has been tested yet, but understand this: Sora's power must be at his greatest to use his charm."

(AN13)

"My power!" wondered Sora.

"I'll explain things later," said Takuya, "Just be patient."

Sora sighs, knowing that Takuya wouldn't budge on the subject.

"Fine," said Sora, "Let's just get to Twilight Town."

With a brief 'see ya later', Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya left the Tower to continue their journey to find Kairi, save Takuya's world, and defeat Organization 13; not necessarily in that order though.

(Chapter End)

I know, I know, it was pretty bad. Look what I had to work with though.

Dx: Not to mention to you had like 1½ songs. If you could even call that last little ditty a song.

Jenny: I'm not sure you could. Takuya was right, Sora should never sing without music.

LR: Well, we better rap this up if we're going to get to the next part.

RDF1: Thanks, LR. Now, time for extras…

(Character Bios)

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin, Gullwing, Sleeping Lion, Fenrir, Ultima, Mysterious Abyss

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, Wind, Water, Thunder, Metal, Light, and Darkness

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon, EmperorGreymon

Status: True Hero

New Attack: Atomic Inferno Drill

* * *

Next up: Author notes.

AN1: Don't take that seriously. I don't know anything about Aerith or Yuffie, especially not their cooking skills. Just for the sake of the fic, they took classes.

AN2: If you need a picture, then look it up yourself, same for Calmaramon later.

AN3: Trying to keep a balanced mix, so it's not totally one or the other. Still, kind of funny seeing Ranamon do that, right?

AN4: Well, she IS a princess, so I would guess that she has other duties, just like her sisters do.

AN5: Don't even attempt to understand how or why. Just go with it. It's animated, so why argue?

AN6: Funny how this happens years later with her daughter.

AN7: It's like he wishing for an intervention. Yet all he got was Ursula. (LOL)

AN8: Remember this for later and you'll see why I'm making it a joke now.

AN9: Don't read too much into that, it's just he finds a new reason to like the surface world when Melody is born.

AN10: I don't know if they're electric, but needed something to keep Ranamon in check, ya'know?

AN11: I'm not even gonna mention anything about the song. It happens and everyone is in his or her positions afterwards. Don't even want to bother with Ursula's singing. Worse than even Sora's on a bad day, and that's her on a good one. (LOL)

AN12: It should cement after Morgana's destruction.

AN13: If you've been paying attention, then you'll be able to figure out WHEN I'm talking about.

Alright, I think that's all.

Next time: Twilight Town, and the first part of The World That Never Was!

Later,

RDF1


	11. Memories and Inner Strength

RDF1: Yikes. I can't believe I actually missed this.

Dx: What?

RDF1: I missed putting up the Keyblade from Agrabah in the bottom of the chapters and didn't even think twice about it until now.

Jenny: Oh well, just correct it here and no one will give it another thought.

LR: They have a point, ya know. I mean, if it was a Keyblade you had Sora actually using is one thing, but this is nothing to worry about.

RDF1: I guess so, but still, it's just wrong.

I will correct that from this chapter forward.

Disclaimer: RedDragonForce 1 doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or Digimon. He only owns the ideas he has expressed so far and some of which are not entirely his. So, don't sue!

Just a reminder:

Normal: Ultima

Valor: Hero's Crest and Guardian Soul

Wisdom: Star Seeker

Master: Sleeping Lion and Fenrir

Limit: Kingdom Key (because it matches the refurbished KH1 outfit)

Final: Oblivion and Oathkeeper (Like anything else would truly fit)

Final Twilight: Way to the Dawn and Destiny Place

Note: I'm changing Final Twilight a bit, but not the Keyblades.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

"_I cannot guarantee anything, as nothing of this sort has been tested yet, but understand this: Sora's power must be at his greatest to use his charm."_

"_My power!" wondered Sora._

"_I'll explain things later," said Takuya, "Just be patient."_

_Sora sighs, knowing that Takuya wouldn't budge on the subject._

"_Fine," said Sora, "Let's just get to Twilight Town."_

_With a brief 'see ya later', Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya left the Tower to continue their journey to find Kairi, save Takuya's world, and defeat Organization 13; not necessarily in that order though._

(Recap End)

When the four of them finally returned to Twilight Town, they found themselves in the Train Station, the same place from when they first left the world.

"Hey, I think we're getting close," said Goofy.

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

"Didn't we return here for the picture?" asked Goofy, bringing it out and handing it to Sora.

"That's right," said Sora, "The mansion may hold clues as to the entrance to the Organization's world, right Takuya?"

"Could be," said Takuya, "But let's find Hayner and the others first. They may know more about it. Let's head to the Usual Spot."

"Right," agreed Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

So, the four of them made their way to the usual spot, fighting Nobodies along the way. However, given all the battling they had done, these Nobodies were cake compared to when Sora, Donald, and Goofy first woke up. When they got to the usual spot, no one was there. Sora then felt something tug as his heart, and decided to follow it. He started towards the sandlot, where the final sphere was. He stopped just short of it, the others just behind him.

"Sora," said Takuya, "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I have to know what the other members were talking about. We'll be back, hopefully with a better understanding."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy then jumped into the sphere, leaving Takuya to wait for their return.

* * *

Sora Donald, and Goofy arrived on the same platform that they had during most of the other encounters. Lexaeus stood before them, his Axe Blade at his side.

"Are you sure you wish to battle me and unlock your memories?" asked Lexaeus, "Even if you win, you may not like what you find."

"Whatever the memories mean; I need to face them," replied Sora, bringing out the Ultima Keyblade, "I can't find Kairi until I know what they mean!"

"Very Well," said Lexaeus, hoisting his weapon over his shoulder, "Then let the battle commence!"

And with that, Sora and the others charged, knowing that the battle wouldn't be easy in the slightest.

* * *

While Takuya was waiting for the others, he decided to change into Flamon and expand his senses to the surrounding area. What he found wasn't good: Nobodies had ambushed Hayner, Olette, and Pence, with the latter having no means of protecting themselves. Flamon knew Sora would be asking questions about it, but the others needed him right now, so he left the sandlot and headed to the forest. There, another group of Nobodies showed up, forcing Flamon to fight them. As he was battling, one of the Nobodies managed to get behind him and tried to attack from the air, only to be stopped by King Mickey with his King's Crown Keyblade.

"Thanks," said Flamon, destroying the last of the group with his tail.

"There's a Twilight Thorn through those trees, I'll need help to take it down," said King Mickey.

"You're just making this all kinds of fun for me," said Flamon, changing back into Takuya and taking out his D-Tector, "UNITY EXCECUTE! UNIFIED SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

EmperorGreymon stood at the ready next to King Mickey and they charged forward together, intent on taking out the Twilight Thorn Nobody.

* * *

As they had guessed, the battle wasn't easy, but they managed to defeat Lexaeus.

"Congratulations," said Lexaeus, "Now, let us see if it was worth it."

He disappeared, and suddenly, Sora's mind went into overdrive, giving him access to all the memories Namine locked away since he entered Castle Oblivion. Sora remembered everything: Namine altering his memory, before reminding him about Kairi. The Organization Members that he had fought, but Riku had originally killed. The reason that he felt he already knew Axel, even though he didn't remember it. New images came to his mind, of Axel, a blonde-haired Boy, and a dark-haired girl enjoying Sea Salt Ice Cream. The boy was Roxas, but the Girl was like a twin or clone of Kairi, minus the hair color. Another scene entered his mind, as Roxas and the dark-haired Kairi did battle, which Roxas won. He then heard something he only thought was in a dream.

"_It looks like my vacation is over," said Roxas, "It's your turn now, Sora."_

When Sora's headache died down, he found that he was back in the Sandlot, but Takuya wasn't in sight. Sora thought about what was shown to him. On the one hand, he felt slightly angry with Namine for what she did, but couldn't really blame her because of how lonely she was and what the Organization tried to do to her, and him. He finally realized why Axel was so intent on him becoming a Heartless again. That would mean Roxas would return, and maybe that other girl, because Roxas was his Nobody.

"Kairi, Namine," said Sora, "I'll get you back from the Organization. I promise!"

"Let's get going, Sora," said Donald.

"If we're going to save them," said Goofy, "We can't stay here."

"Let's go!" shouted Sora, leading the charge towards the mansion.

As they were running, battling Nobodies and the like, Sora thought about what he saw. Most of the memories were his, but some were from Roxas. Who was that girl Roxas fought, and why did she feel important to him? He pushed those thoughts away once he saw Hayner, Pence, and Olette lying on the ground in front of the mansion's gate. They immediately went to check on each of them.

"What happened?" asked Sora of Hayner.

"We came here," explained Hayner, "To see if we could find Kairi. Next thing we knew, we were ambushed by those Nobodies."

"You didn't have to do that," said Sora.

"Kairi's our friend now, too," said Hayner, as he, Olette, and Pence got up, "We got to work together to make sure she's safe!"

"Right," said Sora, remembering Mickey's words: _'Helping others should come before asking for help.'_

"There have been rumors going around about this mansion having a lot of strange visitors. We figured it would be worth looking into," said Hayner.

"We believed it holds a gateway to an alternate Twilight Town," added Olette.

"Alternate?" asked Sora, "You mean like a 'Digital' one?"

"Maybe," said Pence, "Goofy, do you still have that crystal and pouch?"

"Right here," said Goofy, bringing both items out.

"I made a pouch with that exact design," said Olette, bringing her bag out, "and I still have it. There shouldn't be two of them."

"And remember the trophy Seifer gave you," said Hayner, bringing out the trophy from Hyperspace, "It's the only one of it's kind."

(AN1)

"Same goes for the crystals," added Pence, "One of each: Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green."

"So," asked Hayner, "Where'd you get it?"

"Well," said Goofy, "The pouch is from the King."

"And the crystal was already inside of it," added Donald.

"That leaves the question of where the King got it," said Pence.

"Exactly," said Hayner, "If there's more than one of items that are supposedly one-of-a-kind, then there has to be another town that mirrors or mimics this one."

"Then, would that explain this?" asked Sora, bringing out the picture of the three of them, plus Roxas.

"It would have to," said Hayner, "Because we don't know that guy."

Just then, more Nobodies showed up. One jumped to attack, only to be destroyed by Mickey.

"Guys," said Mickey, "We got more on the way!"

Hayner, Pence, and Olette retreated inside the courtyard, so they would be out of the way as Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey battled the Nobodies. EmperorGreymon was soon launched out of the forest and landed on the last Nobodies, destroying them as he turned back into Takuya.

"Ow," said Takuya, getting up, "That's the last time I destroy a Twilight Thorn Nobody at point blank."

"TAKUYA!" shouted Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"What?" asked Takuya, feigning ignorance, "I sensed something was up in the forest, and you were chasing after forgotten memories. What else was I supposed to do?"

"It doesn't matter now," said King Mickey, "I've just found out some great news. I found where the REAL Ansem the Wise is. He's in the Organization's home world. We need to help him as soon as possible."

"Mickey," said Sora, "Do you know anything about Castle Oblivion?"

This surprised Mickey, as he didn't expect for Sora to remember, but then looked towards Takuya, who shrugged, knowing less about it than Mickey did.

"Yeah," said Mickey, "That was where you fell asleep. We moved you here so the Organization couldn't end your existence."

"And what about this?" pressed Sora, showing the picture to Mickey, "You couldn't have told me that I had a Nobody before."

"Well, it wasn't really an issue once Roxas rejoined with you," replied Mickey, "It was the only way we could wake you up."

Sora sighed; his life was getting way more complicated than he wanted it to.

"Let's find Kairi and Namine," said Sora, "They're waiting for us."

"Right," said Mickey, trying to get used to the fact that Sora now remembered Namine.

"This way," said Takuya, leading the way inside, the others, following.

"Your majesty," said Olette, "Where did you get the pouch and the crystal you gave to Sora?"

"I can't say," said Mickey.

"We got this picture from a guy in a dark coat that wasn't with the Organization," said Sora, "And since you were in a coat just like it, I'm guessing that was Riku, right?"

"If that's what you think," said Mickey, trying to avoid a rather awkward conversation.

"I don't think that it's going to be any good denying it anymore, Mickey," said Takuya, as they entered the mansion, "Riku IS helping, but in his own way. You'll see him again when the time is right."

"And when will that be?" asked Sora.

"You'll know when the time comes," said Takuya, "Right now, let's head up to Namine's Room. It's upstairs, and you might find something you like."

So, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya headed upstairs, while the others searched the rest of the mansion. When they entered, Sora, Donald, and Goofy saw a plain white room with minimal furnishings and drawings everywhere. A few were depicted of them from their first adventure as well. One depicted Sora and Roxas side-by-side, and Sora realized why Roxas was literally considered half of him. He felt again for the power, and it felt closer than before, but not quite ready to be unleashed. Suddenly, a memory popped up, where Namine first met Xion, and Sora found out her name.

"Alright," said Sora, "Let's get moving. We have to save Kairi and Namine." 'And Xion.'

"Right," agreed the others.

They left Namine's room and headed to the other side, where the library was. There they found a way to the basement, were King Mickey and the others were checking out Ansem's computer that was set up there.

"So, what's up?" asked Takuya.

"I've got access to some basic files, but I can't access the portal program without a password."

"We got any clues?" asked Takuya.

"The photo," said Goofy.

"And the Ice Cream," said Donald.

"I remember being told that Ansem loves Ice Cream," said Mickey.

"What was the flavor?" asked Pence, "That's got to be the password."

"Sea-Salt Ice Cream," said Sora, Donald, and Goofy at the same time.

Pence typed it in, and the portal became active.

"That's what I call a password," said Hayner.

"We've done our part," said Pence.

"Now it's your turn," said Olette, "Go, and save the worlds again."

"Right," said Sora.

"You can count on us," added Takuya, as he, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey stepped into the portal.

* * *

(Digital Twilight Town)

When they exited the portal, they appeared to be in the same room, but no sign of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They looked to their right and saw a smashed up version of Ansem's computer, and Sora remembered Roxas as the culprit. They pressed on to find a Dark Portal to take them to the Organization's world, and found one in the next room.

"This is it," said Mickey, "This portal will lead us straight to the Organization's World."

They entered the portal and found themselves in the Realm of Nothingness that Kairi had been in before.

"Wow," joked Takuya, "And here I thought Nothingness didn't have an appearance."

"Riku! KAIRI! NAMINE!" shouted Sora.

Nobodies appearing out of the floor of nothingness answered him.

"You had to do that," deadpanned Takuya, changing into Agunimon.

As they battled, more Nobodies appeared, and it seemed as if they were never-ending.

"Don't stop moving, or the Darkness will overtake you!" shouted Axel, appearing and taking out a few Nobodies.

"Axel!" shouted Takuya.

"Get going!" urged Axel.

"Why?" asked Sora.

"Don't ask, just do it!" urged Axel again, before a few nobodies got the jump on him.

A few Pyro Darts and a Keyblade strike later freed him.

"Look," said Sora, "I remember Castle Oblivion. If you're really trying to help, then let's work together."

"Alright," said Axel, "Maybe this will be like working with Roxas again."

"We'll figure that part out later," said Sora, getting his Keyblade ready, "Right now, let's just take care of these guys!"

"Less talking, more fighting!" shouted Agunimon, changing into Takuya, and then into EmperorGreymon.

The five of them battled hard, but still more and more Nobodies showed up with no end in sight.

"I think I liked it better when they were on my side," said Axel.

"_Feeling_ a little… _**regret**_?" joked Sora.

"No," said Axel, "Not regret. More like pity. I can handle these chumps."

"Why not a double team?" asked EmperorGreymon.

"Why not?" replied Axel, "No sense in holding back when there's 'nobody' to hold you back, right?"

"Let's do it!" shouted EmperorGreymon, "PYRO DRAGONS!"

"PYRO EXPLOSION!" shouted Axel, fueling his powers into EmperorGreymon's.

The ensuing power knocked the others back, but totally annihilated the Nobodies. When the smoke cleared, Takuya was holding up Axel the best he could, given their height difference.

"You guys alright?" asked Sora.

"We'll be fine," said Takuya, "I'll tend to him and catch up with you later."

"Go, find Kairi and Namine," said Axel, "If there's anyone who can save them, it's you."

"Look, Axel…" started Sora.

"It's okay, Sora," cut off Axel, "I'm sure there's another way for me to see Roxas again."

"And Xion," said Sora.

"Why am I not surprised?" sighed Axel, "Yes, and Xion. It was less likely for her to reappear should you become a Heartless again, but with Roxas back, we could look for a way together. I'll be fine. Haven't got a heart to break, remember?"

"Got it memorized," countered Sora.

"Here," said Axel, opening a portal, "This should take you to 'The World That Never Was'. Put the Organization in its place."

"You can bet on that!" replied Sora, as he, Donald, and Goofy headed into the portal, which closed behind them.

Axel opened another portal, which brought them to Radiant Garden, in front of Merlin's house. After explaining things to Leon and the others, Axel was given a bed to rest in, and would be able to recover from there. Before he fell asleep, Axel opened one last portal for Takuya to head back to where Sora was.

(AN2)

* * *

Sora, Donald, and Goofy met up with King Mickey and they made their way through the streets of 'The World That Never Was'. As they got to an open plaza, Sora was struck by another memory, one where Riku and Roxas fought side by side to defeat Neo-Shadow Heartless there. He heard the sound of a sword behind him before Donald called out to him. He turned around to see two Nobodies blocking them. As he raced towards them, his vision began to warp, and everything else was frozen. Two portals appeared behind him and two people stepped out. One was male, and the other was decidedly female. The male called forth the Oblivion Keyblade, which surprised Sora. Sora called up the Ultima Keyblade to block his attack when all three of them disappeared.

* * *

(Sora's Mural)

Sora was doing all that he could to block attacks from both of his opponents. Their teamwork was flawless, as if they had been doing it for months.

(AN3)

Just then, Sora remembered that this Mural was where it all began. He wasn't in a different place; he was in his own mind, battling both Roxas and Xion. Why? He didn't have a real answer for that, but one thing he did know was that, in his mind, he could do things not possible in the real world.

(AN4)

When Roxas and Xion went in for a final strike, Sora called upon the power of Valor within him, changing the color on his clothes to red, and the Hero's Crest and Guardian's Soul Keyblades were in his hands. He used them both to block the attacks and began a fierce counterstrike, forcing Roxas and Xion back. They looked at each other before nodding. Xion threw Oathkeeper to Roxas, who battled Sora head on while Xion was casting Magic from afar. Sora was having a more difficult time dodging the magic and the Keyblades at the same time. He called forth the power of Wisdom and changed the color again to blue, and called forth the Shooting Star Keyblade. Gliding across the surface of the mural, Sora moved away from Roxas as he fired Magic Bolts at Xion, who was forced to move if she didn't want to get hit. Sora called for the power of Master, and changed the color to a golden yellow. He wielded Sleeping Lion in his right hand with Fenrir rotating the air from his left hand. Roxas threw Oathkeeper back to Xion and they both attacked, but Sora was ready. He was able to battle on a more even playing field, yet something felt wrong. After using Disaster, his power was exhausted and he returned to normal. He knew it was risky, but Roxas and Xion were still able to fight, and he couldn't defeat them in his regular form. Upon diving into his power once more, he turned into Anti-Sora, but this time he was ready. He could control Anti-Form, and use it to his benefit. However, with no means of using items or magic, he couldn't heal himself. Even though he was battling hard, going up against two opponents of such strength and skill couldn't last forever, and Sora was forced back again to his normal state, this time, bruises and cuts had appeared all over himself.

'This can't be the end,' thought Sora, as he tried to get up, 'I can't give up now. Kairi's waiting on me, and so is Namine.'

'**Sora!**' called out a voice.

'Who?' asked Sora.

'**Sora! A true hero's strength comes from his heart! A strong Heart can overcome any obstacle,**' continued the voice, '**but it's more than having enough Heart to sacrifice yourself. It's easy to die for those you care about, but it's hard to live for them. Find your reason to **_**live**_** and your power will grow even stronger!**'

(AN5)

Sora then realized what everyone had been talking about. To become a True Hero was more than being willing to give your life for those you care about; if you didn't find a reason to _live_, it would be for naught. Sora knew his reason, even if he didn't realize before now, and called forth a power only someone like Hercules, Takuya, and Cloud had called upon before.

Sora stood up, his wound healing and his body glowing with power. Roxas and Xion were surprised by this, and prepared themselves to fight a stronger Sora. Sora called out with his heart, and changed into Limit Form. He called out Ragnarok and Roxas and Xion didn't have enough time to dodge. When the smoke began to fade, Roxas and Xion charged though and attacked Sora one again, but Sora blocked them both with the Kingdom Key.

"Roxas, Xion!" called out Sora, "Why do we have to fight!"

"Tell us!" replied Roxas.

"Tell us why he picked you over us!" added Xion, mentally adding 'over me!'

Sora didn't have an answer to that question. They both continued their assault, which Sora continued to block, until he was forced into the air. Roxas jumped after him with Xion throwing her Keyblade back to Roxas. Sora managed to deflect the blows and land back on the ground. He brought up his Keyblade in time to block a Firaga spell from Xion. Roxas floated in the air, looking at Sora's mural for the first time from above. Seeing all his friends: Donald, Goofy, even Riku, and especially Kairi. Kairi's picture was closest to Sora and he could see a faint trace of a heart around her.

(AN6)

"I see," said Roxas, to himself more than the others, "That's why. His friends are more important to him than those who could wield the Keyblade better."

Roxas landed and continued his assault, forcing Sora to defend his blows until he was able to knock the Kingdom Key out of his hands. He tossed Oathkeeper back to Xion, who used it to block Sora from getting the Key back. Roxas held Oblivion before Sora's face, knowing that the battle was over.

Sora sighed in frustration; it wasn't supposed to end like this. He then remembered that the Keyblade would always return to him when he called for it, which he did. This surprised both Roxas and Xion, allowing Sora to slice through them both before they could react. Oblivion and Oathkeeper disappeared into darkness and light respectively, as Roxas and Xion remembered when they first came into being. Roxas meeting Xemnas for the first time, their first meeting, eating Sea-Salt Ice Cream with Axel, all the battles they fought together, and even the battle they had against each other. Knowing that their battle with existence was over, they relented to giving their power to Sora.

"You make a good other," said Roxas, disappearing.

"I'm glad to be apart of such a caring person," said Xion, before disappearing as well, "Now I know that our existence wasn't pointless."

* * *

When Sora got back, Donald and Goofy were looking at him funny, and Takuya was just staring at him. Sora got the feeling that he knew what went on, and he understood what Takuya had gone through, facing your own demons and everything.

(AN7)

"You make a good other…" repeated Sora, "Our existence wasn't pointless…"

"Are you okay, Sora?" asked Donald?

"So, what happened?" asked Sora.

"You just disappeared," said Goofy, "Then Donald and I had to fight some nobodies with Takuya when he reappeared through a dark portal."

"And don't worry about Axel," said Takuya, moving to place his hand on Sora's shoulder, "He's resting at Radiant Garden."

"Roxas said he defeated Riku," said Sora.

"Roxas?" asked Donald.

"My nobody," said Sora, "Roxas defeated Riku, and I think he's right."

"Roxas did defeat Riku," said Mickey, "Once, then Riku found a way to defeat Roxas. Because he was your nobody, Namine was able to make him forget about Organization 13, even Xion, his closest friend other than Axel. We had to keep him safe from the Organization, and so we placed him in that Digital Twilight Town until Namine could finish putting your memory back together. In the end, it broke her heart for doing that to Roxas."

"I see," said Sora.

Just then, a sphere of Light and Darkness appeared, and formed into one. When Sora touched the sphere, it turned into the 'Two Become One' Keyblade. Feeling it in his hand, he could feel the power of Anti-Sora should he call upon the power of a Drive Form. He sent it to Hyperspace, knowing he might need it at some point.

"Let's keep moving," said Takuya, "More Heartless will be showing up and Kairi and Namine can't wait forever."

"Right," said Sora, as the five of them continued on their way to the base.

Inside his heart, he felt his hidden power awaken, and he knew that he would need it to save Kairi, and the worlds. They reached the end of the road quite literally, and saw that it was a deep crater underneath the base.

"Dead end?" asked Sora.

"Don't say that," sighed Takuya, "There's a pathway. We just got to find it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kairi was trapped in her cell, left with only thoughts of Sora and his wellbeing. Pluto walks over to comfort her, as he did multiple times before. Kairi smiled sadly as she petted the faithful dog. Soon, Pluto's ear shot up, hearing something. Kairi raced to the bars to see who it was, only for it to be Saix.

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Kairi.

"You're the fire that feeds Sora's anger," said Saix, "With you here, he'll use his rage battling his way to find you, and only help our cause reach it's fruition."

Saix left after that, leaving Kairi to feel even worse.

"It's my fault Sora's in danger," said Kairi, "I have to do something."

Pluto's bark turned her attention to a dark portal that was opening. Namine appeared and urged her to follow her.

"Who are you?" asked Kairi, fearing it may lead to an even worse place.

"Believe in yourself," said Namine, giving a more literal meaning that Kairi would understand at the time.

Kairi approached Namine and their hands touch, forming a beacon of light.

* * *

Sora suddenly noticed the beacon of light, and felt Kairi and Namine calling out to him. Focusing on that bond, he called out the Kingdom Key, and used it to bridge the pathway between them, giving a pathway for him and the others to use to get to the base.

"Wow," said Takuya.

"Kairi," said Sora, "Namine, we're on the way. Just hold on."

They raced up the bridge, making their into the base itself. When they reached the other end, Sora called out to Kairi again, only for Mickey to 'shush' him again.

"Do you want the rest of the Organization on us right now!" said Mickey.

"Mickey," said Takuya, changing into Flamon, "Head on up to find Ansem. We'll join you later."

"Right," said Mickey, charging on ahead as Nobodies appeared.

* * *

Namine and Kairi, along with Pluto, made their way down a staircase, trying to make it to the entrance, only to be cut off by Saix with two Berserker Nobodies.

"There you are Namine," said Saix, "I wondered where you went after Castle Oblivion."

"Namine," said Kairi, wondering why she didn't have an 'X' in her name like the other Nobodies like Organization 13.

"What you made me do to Sora and his friends was unforgivable!" countered Namine, "I hope you never find your heart, Saix, because you don't deserve one!"

"My, my, such harsh words from the one that did the deed," replied Saix, "But that's in the past, isn't it? Kairi, I can take you to see Sora, if you wish."

Kairi took a step back.

"You don't want to?" asked Saix, feigning confusion.

"I do, more than anything," replied Kairi, before adding angrily, "But, if I'm going to see Sora; it'll be on my terms! NOT YOURS!"

(AN8)

"If I had a Heart, this is where I'd die of laughter at that insane idea," said Saix before they heard a slash and a Berserker Nobody falling down, "I thought Roxas finished you off all those months ago."

Everyone turned to see Riku, still in Ansem's body, covered by an Organization Cloak. Way to Dawn Keyblade in his hand.

(AN9)

"You can take it from here, Riku," said Namine.

"Riku," said Kairi, wondering why Riku would look like that after only a year away from the islands.

Riku dismissed his Keyblade and summoned a Dark Blast, knocking Saix back. He pinned the Organization member to a wall, which Saix used to create a portal and escape. Riku made to follow.

"WAIT!" cried out Kairi, not wanting her friend to leave her _again_.

This paused Riku long enough for Pluto to stop him from entering the portal. Riku sighed, as he couldn't leave now that Kairi found him. She wouldn't let him leave again. Neither had noticed that Namine had left them.

"Is that really you, Riku?" asked Kairi, pulling off the hood and revealing Ansem's face.

"Yes," said Riku, with his own voice, instead of Ansem's, "I have to stay like this if I'm to use the powers of Darkness to help defeat the Organization."

"You can't do it alone," said Kairi, "You're going to need Sora's help. And I'll do what I can to help as well."

"Alright," said Riku, "We'll find Sora, together."

(AN10)

(Chapter End)

I know, I know, you don't want me to leave it on such a cliffhanger, but I'm trying to even out these last few parts. There're only a couple of chapters remaining until the end, and I have to really work with what I've got to make sure it evens out, particularly with the ending and everything.

Sorry, the others are out doing errands, and no one's here but me, doing the exit.

(Character Bios)

* * *

Name: Sora

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Wishing Lamp**, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin, Gullwing, Sleeping Lion, Fenrir, Ultima, Mysterious Abyss

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

**forgot about this one until now, will be there for the rest of the fic

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master, Final (unused as of now)

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, Wind, Water, Thunder, Metal, Light, and Darkness

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon, EmperorGreymon

Status: True Hero

New Attack: Atomic Inferno Drill

* * *

Name: Roxas

Occupation: 13th Member of Organization 13 and Sora's nobody

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Oblivion and Oathkeeper in duel wield, others unused

(Different game!)

* * *

Name: Xion

Occupation: 14th Member of Organization 13, but not a TRUE Nobody. Replica of Sora's memories about Kairi

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper

Original Fate: Removed from everyone's memories by Namine after being absorbed into Roxas so Sora can get HIS memories back.

* * *

Name: Riku

Occupation: Keyblade wielder, user of darkness

Keyblades: Soul Eater, Oblivion (temporary), Way to Dawn

* * *

Name: Kairi

Occupation: Princess of Heart and love interest of Sora, future Keyblade wielder

Keyblade: Destiny Place

(Finally found out more about this on KH Wikipedia)

* * *

Name: King Mickey Mouse

Occupation: Keyblade Wielder, King of Disney Castle

Keyblade: King's Crown (I don't really care that it's Kingdom Key D, or whatever, this is more distinguished, so it's what I'm working with.

* * *

Organization members I don't really care about enough to put each individual thing for them. Look them up on KH Wiki for more information.

* * *

Author Notes!

AN1: Don't know about you, but that's a plausible explanation for him having it without lugging it around or it slowing him down in any way.

AN2: This is where it gets MORE AU. Axel WILL live, because it works out better for me.

AN3: Well, Roxas and Xion DID work together on missions before, and… yeah, if you don't know more than that, then you haven't seen 358 ½ days yet.

AN4: I know it's not REALLY his mindscape, but it better suits the situation I am creating.

AN5: I didn't really do that with a particular character's voice in mind. So you could use Riku, Rafiki, Hercules, Roxas, Xion, or even Ventus for this part. It wouldn't really matter to me.

AN6: Mrfipp expresses this particular notation in his fics. Again, I do not own it, and it belongs to him.

AN7: I mean facing your own demons by facing the past, and your own dark half.

AN8: Very funny comic made about this, where Kairi gets so angry she literally kicks him 'where the sun don't shine'. As a meeting point between that and the original, we have this. A more determined Kairi that shied away somewhat during the year that Sora wasn't with her.

AN9: I know I'm switching back and forth, but you know what I'm talking about so I don't have to go back and change everything. If you still don't get it, then let me put it this way: The 'Coat' and 'Cloak' mean the same thing about Organization XIII.

AN10: Just something I thought needed to be added, as it was never explained why Riku stayed, other than loyalty to his friends, which was the same reason he wanted to stay away from them.

Okay, I think that's all.

Next time: Sora faces off against the other members in Proof of Existence, but not before battling Xigbar and meeting up with Kairi and Riku once more.

Until then…

Later,  
RDF1


	12. New Evolution Drive! Twilight vs Nothing

Alrighty guys, bittersweet feelings here on this fic.

Dx: I know what you mean. This fic wasn't all that bad, for not having me in it.

RDF1: Shut it, before I do it for you!

Dx: I'm kidding.

Jenny: No you weren't.

Dx: Jenny!

LR: He does have a point. This was a good fic.

RDF1: Thank you. I just hope others will agree with you guys.

Okay, time for an explanation.

I got a review in the last chapter stating that Takuya was OOC. I did this intentionally because of what's going on. Takuya had been separated from his friends, after going through a period of maturing. He just figured out that being in the Digital World is no game, that it's life or death. Add to that, he gets separated from his home world; from everyone he ever knew just to be thrown into a war that has even greater stakes, if that's possible. The culmination of all this would make any smile disappear rather quickly, even for someone like Takuya. If there's anyone out there reading this that can honestly say they would go through this and still smile like it's nothing, then let me know, so I can speak with you privately.

Now, on to the fic.

I do apologize for the lateness. I do have a life, and it doesn't revolve around Fanfiction only. But, without further ado…

Disclaimer: RDF1 doesn't own anything related to Disney, Square, Kingdom Hearts, or Digimon. He only owns Ideas and OCs he's expressed before, and even some of those are shared/agreed by others.

Let's go! Digital Kingdom Hearts: Chapter 12!

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

_Namine and Kairi, along with Pluto, made their way down a staircase, trying to make it to the entrance, only to be cut off by Saix with two Berserker Nobodies._

"_There you are Namine," said Saix, "I wondered where you went after Castle Oblivion."_

"_Namine," said Kairi, wondering why she didn't have an 'X' in her name like the other Nobodies like Organization 13._

"_What you made me do to Sora and his friends was unforgivable!" countered Namine, "I hope you never find your heart, Saix, because you don't deserve one!"_

"_My, my, such harsh words from the one that did the deed," replied Saix, "But that's in the past, isn't it? Kairi, I can take you to see Sora, if you wish."_

_Kairi took a step back._

"_You don't want to?" asked Saix, feigning confusion._

"_I do, more than anything," replied Kairi, before adding angrily, "But, if I'm going to see Sora; it'll be on my terms! NOT YOURS!"_

"_If I had a Heart, this is where I'd die of laughter at that insane idea," said Saix before they heard a slash and a Berserker Nobody falling down, "I thought Roxas finished you off all those months ago."_

_Everyone turned to see Riku, still in Ansem's body, covered by an Organization Cloak. Way to Dawn Keyblade in his hand._

"_You can take it from here, Riku," said Namine._

"_Riku," said Kairi, wondering why Riku would look like that after only a year away from the islands._

_Riku dismissed his Keyblade and summoned a Dark Blast, knocking Saix back. He pinned the Organization member to a wall, which Saix used to create a portal and escape. Riku made to follow._

"_WAIT!" cried out Kairi, not wanting her friend to leave her again._

_This paused Riku long enough for Pluto to stop him from entering the portal. Riku sighed, as he couldn't leave now that Kairi found him. She wouldn't let him leave again. Neither had noticed that Namine had left them._

"_Is that really you, Riku?" asked Kairi, pulling off the hood and revealing Ansem's face._

"_Yes," said Riku, with his own voice, instead of Ansem's, "I have to stay like this if I'm to use the powers of Darkness to help defeat the Organization."_

"_You can't do it alone," said Kairi, "You're going to need Sora's help. And I'll do what I can to help as well."_

"_Alright," said Riku, "We'll find Sora, together."_

(Recap End)

* * *

Sora, Agunimon, Donald, and Goofy made their way through Nobody's Call and Crooked Ascension, battling Nobodies of various varieties. Once they made it to Twilight's View, they were able to rest for a moment.

"They really don't want us getting very far, do they?" questioned Sora, as they caught their breath.

"If they are, they sure aren't making it easy," said Agunimon, reverting back to Takuya for the time being, "Let's rest here for a few moments, then press on."

"Right," said Sora, turning to the others, "You guys holding up?"

"We're fine," insisted Donald.

"Nothing to worry about," added Goofy, "We're ready to go when you are."

"Right," said Takuya, changing back into Agunimon, after a minute of silence, "Time to show them what it means to mess with our friends."

So, they headed on into the Hall of Empty Memories. It didn't take long for an 'old friend' to show up.

"You have done well, Sora," said Saix, from a few floors up.

"SAIX!" called out Sora, "WHERE'S KAIRI!"

"Who knows," replied Saix, "I expect she's catching up with her friend from the darkness."

"What do you mean!" said Sora.

"She has no need of you anymore. You journeyed all this way for nothing," goaded Saix, trying to get Sora even angrier.

"Like I would believe that!" countered Sora, having learned from his mistakes when dealing with Saix.

"You don't have to," said Saix, easily adapting to Sora's non-reaction, "Just believe this: Thanks to you, Organization is almost finished in it's mission to get Kingdom Hearts. Just look there."

Saix pointed out to the Heart-shaped Moon outside.

"Now, to finish Kingdom Hearts, why not get one last helping from the Keybearer," said Saix, summoning about 50 Heartless from the floors and walls.

The Heartless surrounded them.

"You ready," said Agunimon.

"What about Kingdom Hearts?" asked Sora, not wanting to lose the hearts to the Organization.

"SORA!" shouted a voice very familiar to Sora, "IT'S REALLY YOU!"

Everyone looked up to see Kairi, looking down from the viewpoint opposite of Saix.

"KAIRI!" said Sora, glad that his _friend_ was still alive, his heart feeling lighter than ever before.

"Watch it!" said Agunimon, as the Heartless began their attack, a few getting on Sora and pinning him to the ground.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" shouted Kairi, jumping down to the floor below before more Heartless surround her, "Get out of my way!"

Suddenly, a sphere of light energy was launched form her hands without warning, and taking down a few Heartless. The others attacked, only to be destroyed by Riku. Reaching into Hyperspace, he brought out the Destiny Place Keyblade and held it out to Kairi.

"Take it," said Riku.

Kairi looked at the Keyblade before her, when a sudden memory popped up: One where a young woman with blue hair and a younger Mickey Mouse protected her from dark creatures that were neither Heartless nor Nobodies. Upon grabbing the Keyblade, she remembered that she gave flowers to the young woman, who merged them with her Keyblade to form the Destiny Place Keyblade. Feeling the power of the Keyblade coursing through her, she got ready to fight, to protect others as that young woman did for her.

(AN1)

"I'll fight as well," said Kairi, focusing her mind on helping Sora any way she could, "We both know Sora won't be able to finish this without us. Let's GO!"

Kairi raced forward into battle, using her powers of Light, and the Destiny Place Keyblade, to battle the Heartless that stood between her and Sora. Riku chuckled inwardly at the fact that Kairi's change in personality and demeanor was all due to Sora. He pulled out the Way to the Dawn Keyblade and followed suit, destroying Heartless with more skill than Kairi, given his past battles, and the power of Darkness that was within him.

(AN2)

Saix watched with interest as the Keybearers did battle with the Heartless, until a strong presence of Darkness caught his attention. He looked up to see Maleficent and Pete standing across the way.

"Well, well," said Saix, in slight amusement, "Will the intrusions never cease."

Saix then disappeared in a portal of Darkness, to await Sora's arrival at his battleground of choice.

(AN3)

* * *

Sora managed to get the Heartless off of him, and looked up to where Kairi was. She was battling Heartless alongside Xehanort's Heartless, both wielding a Keyblade.

"What's going on?" asked Sora, thoroughly confused as to not only Kairi wielding a Keyblade, but also Xehanort's Heartless battling by her side.

"Sora," said Agunimon, "Focus!"

Before Sora could get back to the battle, a shot rang out from above, taking out a Heartless. Everyone looked up to see hundreds of shots firing, taking out all the Heartless on the platform where Sora's group was.

"Have you been a good boy, Sora," said Xigbar.

"Show yourself!" demanded Sora.

Xigbar walked up, from the few floors up where he was waiting.

"I take it, 'not'," said Xigbar, answering his own question, "Sora, Roxas, Xion!"

"Roxas? Xion?" replied Sora, "HEY! GET THE NAME RIGHT! I'M JUST SORA! Roxas and Xion have got nothing to do with this."

"You're kidding, right?" countered Xigbar, "After everything you three did to the Organization? No wonder the Keyblade chose you guys. But, man, it could've done better. I mean: you guys aren't even half as trained as the others were."

(AN4)

"You done rambling," said Agunimon, "Or is there someone else you'd like to insult."

"Rambling?" said Xigbar, "As much fun as it would be to continue the insults, I'll just give you the short version: You and those traitors are through! I challenge you to a one-on-one battle!"

"Say what!" exclaimed Donald.

"One-on-one?" wondered Goofy.

"Guys, let's let Sora handle this," said Agunimon, walking away from the platform, "This is a legal challenge. We can't interfere."

"I accept!" said Sora, before turning to Donald and Goofy, "I'll be fine. I can take this guy."

"Go for it," said Donald.

"We'll support you all the way," added Goofy, before both of them left to join Agunimon.

"You ready?" said Xigbar, prepping his Sharpshooters.

"Bring it on," said Sora, changing his Ultima into Two Become One, surprising Xigbar.

"You have _that_ Keyblade?" asked Xigbar.

"Yep," said Sora, "Just to let you know, Roxas says "Hello" and "Goodbye"!"

Sora charged in, to attack Xigbar directly, who moved into the air to dodge the first attack. Sora then jumped up with a vertical slash, hitting Xigbar. Xigbar managed to recover and move to a different position and started firing shot after shot. Sora deflected most of the shots as he moved closer to Xigbar, before summoning a Thundaga spell to hit Xigbar and stop his firing. Sora followed up with a Blizzaga and Firaga combo, using up most of his magic.

"Not bad," said Xigbar, moving back up into a sniper position, forcing Sora to move about the platform to dodge shots that were even stronger than before.

One managed to hit Sora, causing him to fall back. He healed as Xigbar moved back onto the platform, and summoned his inner strength to turn into Anti-Sora. What was surprising again, was that he still had the Two Become One Keyblade in his hands, and he was still in Sora's battle stance.

"Let's go!" said Anti-Sora, moving faster than Sora did, getting multiple hits on Xigbar before he could counter with his Sharpshooters.

* * *

"Sora!" shouted Kairi in concern, as she noticed Sora turning into Anti-Sora, fearing that he would become a Heartless again.

"He'll be okay!" said Riku, taking out another Heartless, "Let's finish up here!"

"Right," said Kairi, dodging another attack by different Heartless. All the while she was thinking, 'Don't die on me now, Sora.'

* * *

"Whoa!" said Donald, when Sora changed into Anti-Sora.

"When did he learn to control the Anti-Form _that_ well?" asked Goofy.

"Maybe from Roxas," replied Agunimon, "I couldn't tell you for certain though."

* * *

Xigbar was shooting all over the battlefield, forcing Anti-Sora to dodge while holding on to the Two Become One Keyblade. He soon felt the drive run out and reverted back to normal Sora just as he missed Xigbar's last few shots.

"Awe," teased Xigbar, "Out of power already. Stay still and I'll make it painless."

"That's what you think," said Sora, changing back to Ultima, and changing into Master form, Sleeping Lion and Fenrir at the ready.

'Uh oh,' thought Xigbar.

Sora unleashed Disaster and finished off Xigbar before he could mount a counterattack.

"Roxas, Xion," said Xigbar one last time, "You just had to betray us."

"There was nothing to betray," said Sora, his voice sounding like Roxas.

"You used us, and now we're free," continued Sora, this time in Xion's voice.

"Kingdom Hearts will never be obtained by the likes of you," finished Sora, in his own voice this time, "We'll see to that!"

Xigbar just chuckled, "You guys won't stop Xemnas. He's too powerful."

Xigbar then disappeared into Nothingness.

"It's time to end this!" said Sora, "You guys ready?"

"Yeah," said Agunimon, walking up to him with Donald and Goofy.

"What happened there?" asked Donald.

"Why'd you sound like two different people there?" added Goofy.

"Roxas and Xion are apart of me. I guess they can speak through me, if I allow it," replied Sora.

(AN5)

"Let's get going," said Agunimon, "Kairi and Namine are waiting for us, remember?"

So, they headed out, following the path King Mickey had taken earlier, taking out more Heartless and Nobodies on their way. When they got to the level Kairi and Riku were on, they expected at least a few more Heartless to fight, but Kairi managed to destroy the last one with the Destiny Place Keyblade.

"Kairi, you were great," praised Donald.

"Oh," said Kairi, turning around, before letting out a small giggle.

Sora and Kairi approached each other.

"You ARE different, Kairi," said Sora, "But I'm just glad you're here."

"When you and Riku never returned, I decided to go look for you," said Kairi, "I met up with Hayner, Pence, and Olette before Axel captured me."

"I'm sorry…" started Sora, before Kairi enveloped him in a deep hug.

"No," said Kairi, tears in her eyes, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I forgot about you until just recently. I'm just glad you're real, and not some made up memory."

"That's not your fault," said Sora, "I'm sorry for taking so long."

"Ahem," said Takuya, getting their attention.

Sora and Kairi let go, reluctantly, while blushing furiously in anger and embarrassment at Takuya for ruining their reunion. Riku himself summoned a portal of Darkness to leave Sora and Kairi be, but Sora stopped him.

"Ansem," called out Sora, "I mean, Xehanort's Heartless; I didn't think I'd see you again. I remember everything you did to get Kingdom Hearts over a year ago. And, if it wasn't for the fact that you helped saved Kairi, I would probably be aiming my Keyblade at your throat right about now."

Riku didn't say anything, but mentally chuckled at what Sora said. It would be true, sort of. He made to leave through the portal, when Kairi stopped him once more.

"Riku, Don't go!" said Kairi, rushing over to him.

"WHA!" exclaimed Donald and Goofy, bewildered by Kairi's outburst.

Sora face faulted and gave out a short laugh while Takuya sweatdropped at his friend's antics.

"Of course," said Sora, his right eye twitching at he got back up, "I rant on against my last big enemy, and it turns out to be my friend in disguise. Not to mention it makes sense that you had Soul Eater in the Land of Dragons."

"What can I say?" replied Riku, "You never picked the brightest friends, no offense Takuya, so I thought I'd help where I could."

"You could've just told us," replied Sora.

"Guys," said Takuya, "Argue later, prepare for big battle now?"

"Right," said Sora.

"Who is this?" asked Kairi.

"Oh," said Sora, forgetting that Kairi didn't know Takuya, "This is Takuya Kanbara. His world was taken over by Darkness and joined us when we woke up."

"Nice to meet you," said Takuya.

"Nice to meet you too," said Kairi, shaking Takuya's hand.

"You ready to end this, guys," said Sora, "Let's do this, together."

"Right," replied the others.

"Don't forget this," said Riku, bringing out Oblivion and returning it to Sora, "Roxas was somehow able to duel wield this along with Oathkeeper. I'm guessing that's because of you?"

"Guilty," chuckled Sora.

After sending Oblivion into Hyperspace, they decided to rest for a few moments before moving on to the Proof of Existence.

"What is this place?" asked Sora, looking around at the portals.

"My guess," said Takuya, at the door opposite of where they entered, "This door had locks that open when we unlock both portals."

"Guess we go one, then the other," said Sora.

They entered the portal of Luxord's choice of battlefield. They noticed a beam of light hitting the Heart-shaped Moon.

"That must be the King and DiZ, I mean Ansem the Wise," explained Riku.

Luxord showed up, wielding Fair Game in his hand.

"Let's say we skip pleasantries, and get down to business," said Luxord.

"How about one-on-one?" said Takuya, itching for a fight after seeing Sora master his Anti-Form, "You stopped me last time, but Parley doesn't exist here."

"You're sure the others won't interfere?" questioned Luxord, not wanting an unfair gamble against him.

"Guys?" asked Takuya.

"Go for it!" encouraged Sora, before cards appeared around all of them, except Takuya, and they disappeared.

"HEY!"

"This way, they can't interfere," said Luxord, before starting his attack.

"EXECUTE NOW!" shouted Takuya, "FUSION EVOLUTION!"

Takuya transformed into Aldamon just in time as he flew up above the cards. Luxord launch a straight of cards at him, only for Aldamon to use Atomic Inferno as a counter. Luxord summoned a 52-card pickup and hid beneath one of the cards.

"Well," said Aldamon, "If I the odds are against me, I better even them out! SOLAR WIND DESTROYER!"

The blazing sphere of fire incinerated the cards, revealing Luxord, and leaving him stunned for a few moments, cards flying out of his hands. Aldamon willed the cards to his hand and shot them out at Luxord. Luxord recovered, barely, and managed to bring up a shield of cards as Aldamon flew in with an Atomic Inferno Drill, taking Luxord out.

"I guess I gambled too much," said Luxord, fading into nothingness.

Sora and the others returned shortly.

"Talk about not playing with a full deck," said Sora.

"I guess you could say: He was one card short," joked Takuya, laughing a bit, as he couldn't help it.

The others, minus Riku, laughed at the joke while Riku sweatdropped.

(AN6)

They returned to the Proof of Existence, to find the other Portal opened. They headed inside and found themselves in Saix's choice of Battlefield.

"Only you could have made it this far in one piece, Roxas," said Saix, as the group approached.

"You know, you'd think that without hearts, their heads would be clearer on knowing who's who," said Sora to the others, who laughed, even Riku, before returning his focus on Saix, "It's Sora, not Roxas."

"Different name, same fate," said Saix, bringing out Lunatic and powering up to Berserk mode.

"Yeah, me kicking your butt!" replied Sora, in Roxas's voice.

'Roxas,' thought Kairi, confused as to how Sora was using his voice, a voice Kairi only heard once; however, it was thanks to speaking with Roxas that she was able to remember Sora.

Saix sent out a wave of Darkness, forcing Riku to protect Kairi as they, along with Takuya, were forced back behind a shield that Saix raised.

"You can do this, Sora," said Takuya, "Just remember who believes in you most!"

"Right," said Sora, though he was slightly confused as to what Takuya was talking about.

Saix began his assault, launching a flurry of attacks at Sora, Donald, and Goofy; however, with each attack, he left behind a copy of his Lunatic, which Sora was able to use against him a few times. Saix managed to counter Sora's counterattack, leaving him wounded. Unfortunately, Donald was out of Magic, and neither he nor Goofy could give a Potion to Sora in time as Saix moved in for a final attack.

"SORA!" shouted Takuya, "NOW'S THE TIME! REMEMBER WHO YOU WOULD LIVE FOR!"

(Flashback)

'_**Sora! A true hero's strength comes from his heart! A strong Heart can overcome any obstacle,**__' continued the voice, '__**but it's more than having enough Heart to sacrifice yourself. It's easy to die for those you care about, but it's hard to live for them. Find your reason to **__**live**__** and your power will grow even stronger!**__'_

(Flashback End)

'Kairi,' thought Sora, 'I've got to protect her. GIVE ME STRENGTH!'

"DONALD! GOOFY!" said Sora, reaching into his own power.

Donald and Goofy disappeared before everyone else's eyes as Sora transformed into a new form. If Master and Limit Form were strong, then this new form seemed at least twice as strong as the other two combined. Sora's clothes changed into silver ones; Oblivion and Oathkeeper crisscross on his back. Kairi and Riku couldn't help but gasp at Sora's new form. It was different than any others before it.

Sora managed to bring both Oblivion and Oathkeeper into a defensive position to block Saix's attack. Sora used Crime and Punishment to catch Saix off guard long enough to pull off Final Arcana, followed by Final Strike.

"Why," asked Saix, calling out to Kingdom Hearts, "Kingdom Hearts? Where is my Heart?"

Saix faded into nothingness, and the shield was dropped as Sora reverted back to normal, with Donald and Goofy reappearing.

"I wish they would stop confusing me with Roxas," said Sora.

"Well, since Roxas is your nobody; he IS apart of you," replied Riku.

"If it wasn't for Roxas, I wouldn't have remembered you," said Kairi.

"Why did he leave?" asked Sora.

"I guess," said Riku, "He wanted to meet you. That, and after what they did to Xion…"

Riku looked away for a moment, remembering that young girl made up of Sora's memories, before making her own during her short existence.

"Let's get going," said Takuya, "There's only one member left to fight."

"He's right," said Riku, getting his mind back on track, "Ansem and the King are waiting."

"Right," said Sora.

However, Sora and Kairi stayed behind as the others went through the portal.

"Sora," said Kairi, stopping Sora from entering the portal, "What did Takuya mean, back there? 'Remember who you would live for?' What does that mean?"

Sora blushed, realizing what Kairi was asking of him. He looked at her, with love in his eyes.

"Last year, my heart was strong enough for me to sacrifice myself for the sake of the worlds," explained Sora, "However, this time, I needed to find my own reason to _live_ to become strong enough to defend even more worlds this time. It took me awhile, but I found my reason."

"What is it?" asked Kairi.

"You," replied Sora, "Throughout my life, you were always there, supporting me, encouraging me to become stronger. You were the one that called my Heart back when I became a Heartless. You are my reason to live, and I will make sure I will be there for you, and the worlds. I… I love you, Kairi."

Kairi wasn't as surprised as Sora expected her to be, but Kairi smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Sora," said Kairi, "I saw the drawing you made after I got back to the islands. I love you too, because you were there for me, even when no one else believed me. Even though I couldn't remember your name, your presence was always there, and I couldn't forget that you existed in my heart, because you were the one that protected my heart when our world was overcome with Darkness."

Kairi gave Sora a big hug, which Sora returned. Compassion radiated off of them, and could be felt by those who had found their true love. They moved back slightly and met in a small kiss.

"Hey!" said Takuya, who had walked back through the portal when Sora and Kairi didn't return after a few minutes, "Hate to break up this love fest, but King Mickey and Ansem the Wise are waiting."

Sora and Kairi blushed as they parted. Takuya felt a slight pang of jealousy at Sora because he had found his true love. He just hoped he could get back to his world and tell Zoey how he feels.

"TAKUYA!" shouted Sora, chasing after the Legendary Warrior of Flame.

Takuya left back through the Portal before Sora could reach him. Kairi just stood there, blushing madly, before starting to move after Sora, not wanting to be left behind again.

* * *

When Takuya got back with Sora and Takuya, Sora looked ready to throttle Takuya, friendship or not. Kairi's face looked almost as red as her hair and Riku smirked inwardly at what he could only guess at what happened. He then felt a small pang of jealousy towards Sora that was similar to Takuya's. Sora was able to tell the girl he cares about how he feels.

'Hopefully Xion feels the same way,' thought Riku, who had grown fond of the non-Nobody during the time they spent together.

After calming Sora down, they decided to head forward, towards Ansem and Mickey.

By the time they got there, the machine had already started to malfunction, as encoding Hearts was beyond science, as Ansem had just begun to realize. When they got there, Ansem turned to Sora.

"Sora, I trust you to finish what I started in keeping Xemnas away from Kingdom Hearts," said Ansem.

"Right," said Sora, "It's what I do."

"And Roxas, Xion; I don't know if you two can hear me," continued Ansem, "I just want you to know that I AM sorry, for everything."

"I don't blame you," said Sora, using Roxas's voice again.

"Neither do I," continued Sora, this time in Xion's voice.

"We just hope you'll be fine," finished Sora, using both their voices this time.

Ansem had a confused look on his face.

"Sorry," said Sora, in his own voice, "Just know that Roxas and Xion accept your apology."

The machine started giving off sparks, causing worry to grow within Mickey.

"Ansem!" said Mickey, concerned for his old friend.

"My heart is telling me what to do, my old friend," responded Ansem, "Please, let me follow what my Hearts says."

"No!" said Mickey, before Riku laid a hand on his shoulder, "Riku?"

"The Heart is a powerful force. You know that as well as the rest of us," said Riku, "There's no stopping someone who's Heart is set."

Xemnas chose at that time to warp in, via a Portal of Darkness.

"I was wondering," said Xemnas, "Who would DARE mess with Kingdom Hearts? And I see everyone already gathered. How convenient for me!"

Xemnas then recognized his old teacher, the one whom he stole his namesake as a Nobody.

"Ansem the Wise," said the Nobody Leader, "And here I thought I wouldn't be able to see my old teacher ever again."

"Xehanort," said Ansem, using Xemnas's real name, "Skip the formalities. You know there is no TRUE understanding of Mortal Beings, such as ourselves, of the nature of the Heart."

"I understand it better than you ever could," countered Xemnas.

"You have surpassed nothing, and only proven how little we can ever learn about the Heart. Just look at Sora, he's a prime example," finished Ansem, "Now, it's time to say farewell. Until our next meeting, King Mickey, should that day ever be able to happen."

(AN7)

In the resulting implosion came a light so bright, it blinded everyone for a few moments. Hearts rained down to the ground below, where Nobody Dusks were on them like fish to fish food after not eating for a week. The hearts that weren't gathered by the Nobodies turned into new Heartless, ready for another attempt at Kingdom Hearts, the Heart of All Worlds. When Sora and the gang were able to see again, Riku's appearance of Xehanort's Heartless had disappeared, leaving behind his true form.

"Riku," said Sora, "You're back."

"Ansem did say, 'Anything could happen'," said Mickey.

"Riku," said Sora, "What's with the blindfold?"

"Oh," said Riku, before removing the blindfold, forgetting it was there after so many months of wearing it. He remained silent as to his reason(s), so Mickey answered for him.

"His eyes couldn't lie," said Mickey, "If what he saw wasn't real, he couldn't rely on his eyes. He had to use his other senses to **see** the truth."

"And just who were you trying to lie to?" asked Sora.

"Myself," replied Riku, "Because of Xion, and just about everything else, I couldn't let my eyes see for me. I wouldn't see the truth that way."

"You don't have to do everything alone," said Sora.

"He's right," added Takuya, "We're your friends, you can count on us when things get tough."

"Like you did against Kimeramon?" countered Riku.

"I counted on them helping out Tron, who needed it more than I did," replied Takuya.

"Come on guys," said Mickey, "Let's not fight each other."

"The King's right," added Sora, "You ready to end this?"

"Yeah," said Riku, pulling off his cloak and revealing his new outfit that he had put together over the past year, "Xemnas is the only one left. Let's make sure that we stop him."

(AN8)

The peace didn't last long as more Nobodies showed up. So, the group of Keyblade warriors of Destiny Islands, King of Disney Castle, Captain of the Guard of Disney Castle, Mage of Disney Castle, and the Legendary Warrior of Flame of the Digital World battled their way through Ruin and Creation's Passage, making it to the top before noticing the Heartless making their way in. There were thousands, maybe even more than at Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden.

"There doesn't seem to be an end to them," said Riku.

"We can do it, together," replied Sora.

"We handled ten thousand at Hollow Bastion, this shouldn't be too hard," added Takuya.

However, before they could call forth their weapons, Maleficent and Pete appeared before them, blocking them from the Heartless, or maybe the Heartless from them; either way, they were confused at this display of selflessness.

"Go," said Maleficent, "We'll handle these Heartless."

"We can't take them ALL on," said Pete.

"They need to defeat Xemnas," replied Maleficent, "Or would you rather battle them?"

Pete took a moment to think about his options before giving his answer.

"Frankly my dear, I'd rather RUN!"

"Fine then. Go!"

Pete stepped back a bit, before turning to King Mickey.

"Well, if it ain't the boat-boy King," said Pete.

"Time to weigh anchor, Captain Pete," said Mickey, giving his form of encouragement to his former boat Captain.

"Please," said Captain Pete, "Like I'm gonna 'Abandon Ship' and let you have all the fun!"

"Don't forget," said Maleficent, "This Castle shall be mine, soon enough."

"Mickey," said Pete, "Head on while we hold them off. Use this opportunity to gather your strength for the battle ahead."

"Yes sir, Captain," replied King Mickey, giving his former Captain a salute, just to humor him.

"Alright you two," said Takuya, "Just keep your Hearts strong, and you'll make it."

Maleficent and Pete nodded before charging into the hoard of Heartless before them.

"Let's press on," urged Mickey.

"Right," said Sora, "Their Hearts drive them on to be strong."

They moved forward, to the Altar of Naught, where Xemnas was waiting for them.

"My Kingdom Hearts," said Xemnas, "ruined. I'll have to start anew. Keyblade Warriors! Go forth and gather more Hearts."

"NO!" said Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Mickey, their Keyblades before them.

"Denizens of Light: Why do you hate the Darkness?" asked Xemnas, which was a fair question.

"We don't hate it…" started Mickey.

"Light and Darkness are equal," said Takuya, "Good and Evil are what define them. Evil feels more comfortable using Darkness, but that doesn't mean all Darkness is Evil."

(AN9)

"Just the ones using the Darkness," finished Riku.

"Then allow me one more question," said Xemnas, as if this was normal conversation, "You accept Darkness, but live in the light. So why do you loathe those of us who aren't either Light OR Darkness, as we were never given a choice?"

"It's simple," said Riku, "You choose to mess up the balance of the worlds."

"But what other choice might we have had?" asked Xemnas.

"You choose to exist in friendship," said Takuya, "Even though you are nobodies, and not meant to exist; you can prove yourself worthy of existing by what you do, not who you are."

"But you don't have a Heart," said Sora, "You can't feel."

"Correct," replied Xemnas, "I cannot feel sadness, despite what I chose to do with the worlds. However, I'm not missing a thing."

"Yet you express hatred, anger, and other negative feelings towards destruction," said Takuya, "Such emotions are decisions of the mind."

"Well, this decision is definitely one of a kind!" replied Xemnas, using his powers over nothingness to transport Takuya, Sora and himself to the skyscraper where Riku battled against Roxas after Roxas absorbed Xion.

"Here goes nothing," said Xemnas, "Literally!"

Xemnas then summoned spheres of nothingness and shot them at Sora and Takuya, who dodged.

"UNITY EXECUTE!" shouted Takuya, "UNIFIED SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

Sora attempted to attack Xemnas while Takuya changed into EmperorGreymon, but Xemnas just dodged his attacks by casting a shield of nothingness and warping to another part of the field. EmperorGreymon brought out his sword and move to attack Xemnas. When his first swing missed, Xemnas gave a short chuckle.

"Missed," taunted Xemnas, only to see the blade back in front of him.

"I don't miss!" said EmperorGreymon, "DRAGONFIRE CROSSBOW!"

The blast was at point blank range, and was able to do a decent amount of damage, forcing Xemnas to retreat to the top of the Skyscraper. Sora used that time to change into Limit form before jumping up and running up the front of the building after Xemnas, EmperorGreymon flying up with him a few feet away. Xemnas called out his Interdiction aero blades and blocked Sora's attack, and both moved back as EmperorGreymon's sword pierced the building where both of them were standing just seconds before.

"Could you make that any closer?" said Sora, slightly annoyed, but understood what Takuya was attempting.

"Actually, yes," said EmperorGreymon, "It's time to end this, PYRO DRAGONS!"

However, Both EmperorGreymon and Sora were unaware that Xemnas had used his powers of nothingness to attack EmperorGreymon at the second he plunged his swords into the ground, detonating the Dragons before they had a chance to rise up. When the smoke cleared, Sora and Takuya were sporting several burns, cuts, and wounds from backlash of the explosion.

"Is that all?" asked Xemnas, "Maybe your hearts aren't as strong as you think?"

Sora and Takuya slowly got up, looking to each other for ideas when one popped in Takuya's head.

'That could work,' thought Takuya, 'It's risky, but we don't have any other choice.'

"Sora," gasped Takuya, still feeling the pain from the explosion he was in the middle of, "I've got an idea, but I don't know if it will work."

"At this point," replied Sora, "I'd take anything over losing to this Nobody!"

(AN10)

"Use a Drive," said Takuya, "I'll supply the power, just concentrate on the Drive, and the powers of Light and Darkness together."

"Alright," said Sora, finally managing to stand up, "I trust you."

"It's over," said Xemnas, forming another blast of nothingness and launching it at the wounded Heroes.

"It's not over until it's over!" shouted Takuya, "ANCIENT SPIRITS UNITE!"

Takuya held out his D-Tector in front of him and Sora and Flames covered them both, protecting them from the blast of nothingness.

"DIGITAL TWILIGHT DRIVE!" shouted Sora, delving into his powers of Light and Darkness combined as Twilight to match Takuya's power.

The two powers merged together with the Ancient Spirits and called forth a new power.

"SUSANOOMON!" shouted Susanoomon, in a combination of Takuya and Sora's voices.

(AN11)

From within Susanoomon, Sora looked over at Takuya.

"How'd you know this would work?" asked Sora.

"I didn't," replied Takuya, "Until now I had been only using Half the Spirits power, and they told me they were ready to unleash it all, but since I'm only bonded with the Spirits of Flame, and not Light and Darkness, I would need another that wielded that power. I realized that after mastering your Anti-Form, your powers of Light and Darkness were stronger than even Kairi and Riku's, as powerful as they were."

"Wow," said Sora, having not known the limits of his power, until now.

"You ready for this," said Takuya.

"Oh yeah!" said Sora.

Susanoomon focused his sights on Xemnas and moved faster than any form Takuya had used before combined. A few quick punches and kicks later forced Xemnas back. He summoned Interdiction again and when for one final charge; however, Susanoomon brought out Ultima, at twice the size that Sora used, and sliced through Xemnas, Interdiction and all.

(AN12)

Xemnas, though severely beaten, was not done yet and warped them back to the Altar of Naught.

* * *

"SORA!" called out Kairi, "Where are you?"

"Takuya!" shouted Riku, "Answer me!"

A portal of nothingness opened and released Sora and Takuya, back in their original forms, from Xemnas's battlefield.

"Sora!" shouted Kairi, as they rushed over to them.

Sora got up, though feeling tired still had some fight left in him. Takuya also got up, but he was out of power, for the moment.

"You guys okay?" asked Mickey.

"Where's Xemnas?" asked Sora, who knew Xemnas wasn't through yet.

They all felt his presence just then, right at the Heart of the Heart-Shaped Moon. Xemnas called out to Kingdom Hearts, hoping to merge and become one, to destroy those that would oppose them. Mickey and Sora called out to him, trying to get him from making a foolish mistake, but it was too late.

"THAT FOOL ANSEM SAID THAT THE HEARTS' TRUE NATURE WAS BEYOND HIS UNDERSTANDING!" shouted Xemnas, his mind blinded by pure power, "IT IS NOT BEYOND MINE! HEARTS ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL POWER!"

Then Xemnas disappeared in a bright flash of light, blinding the others for a few moments.

"You won't get away with this!" shouted Sora.

"But how can we get to Kingdom Hearts?" asked Takuya, "Didn't you guys lock the door?"

"We locked one door," said Mickey, "maybe Xemnas found another."

"I can call upon a door, I think," said Kairi.

(AN13)

Being a Princess of Heart, Kairi had a deep connection with the Light and the Heart of all Worlds, Kingdom Hearts. She focused on that connection and summoned a door, but it was closed.

"The worlds gave Kairi the ability to call forth this Doorway for us," said Mickey, "They want US to become the Guardians of their Destinies."

"Once we open that door," added Riku, "We can't return until it's over. Victory or annihilation will become _our_ destiny."

"Right," said Sora, "It's time we ended this, once and for all."

Sora, Riku, and Mickey followed Kairi's lead, by summoning the Kingdom Key, Way to Dawn, and King's Crown Keyblades and opened the door. They made their way through and prepared themselves for the biggest battle they have faced so far.

(Chapter End)

I know that you don't like for it to end on this note, but I gotta stop it somewhere if I'm going to finish up next chapter.

The next chapter is the finale, where everything gets changed even more. About the Summoning Charms, they will be used next chapter; I know you hate me for making you wait that long.

Again, I apologize for the lateness of this, but things are really going in at least three to four directions for me right now and I don't have that much time to work on this as I'd like.

So, until next time…

(Author Notes)

AN1: Spoiler for those who do not know about Birth By Sleep. This is in Aqua's storyline when she is in Radiant Garden, and she battles alongside a younger Mickey Mouse, who is wielding the Shooting Star Keyblade, and protects a young Kairi. The Flowers she gave Aqua allowed her to form the Destiny Place Keyblade.

AN2: Given that Riku has had nearly two years worth of experience by this point, I'd say his skill is at least a bit better than Kairi's.

AN3: I don't know where else he would go otherwise, except maybe his room. But that wouldn't make sense, would it?

AN4: Again spoiler: Xigbar is referring to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, all whom had years of training before they even found him as Braig.

AN5: Well, if Sora can speak through Roxas while battling Riku, and Xion can take on Sora's appearance, is it really that hard to believe that Roxas and Xion can speak through Sora?

AN6: One Card Short is a song from Yu-Gi-Oh! and it's very apropos for a card dealer such as Luxord.

AN7: Original is much longer, and would take copyright infringement to a whole new level.

AN8: Well, let's see: the others were defeated, minus Axel, over the course of this game and Chain of Memories.

AN9: Case in point: MaloMyotismon. Mental Illusion? Darkness fail! He used LIGHT to trap them. Also, Koichi seems more like the nicer of the twins. Not to mention Koji was pretty much a bastard in like the first ten or so episodes, and it doesn't even get explained for another 15-20 episodes. FAIL!

AN10: Double meaning FTW! Get it; 'Nobody', as in an insult AND a title? If you don't get it, humor is at least partially lost on you.

AN11: Well? What do you think? Without Koji holding the powers of Light and Darkness within him, and also without the powers of the Celestial Beings: Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon.

AN12: Well, since this IS a Drive form for Sora, why NOT have a Keyblade? I gave one for Anti-Form as well. Plus, it is better than the REAL weapon that Susanoomon uses, considering the thing is bigger than he is and the energy blade has to cut horizontally?

AN13: Well, Kairi normally doesn't do much, if anything in the original. So I figured, why not give her some use as a Princess of Heart? Epic 'Princess of Hearts' Powers ACTIVATE! CALL UPON A DOOR TO KINGDOM HEARTS! (LOL)

One last thing…

(Character Bios)

* * *

Name: Sora

Occupation: Keyblade Wielder, User of Twilight

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Star Seeker, Hidden Dragon, Hero's Crest, Monochrome, Follow the Wind, Wishing Lamp, Circle of Life, Photon Debugger*, Rumbling Rose, Guardian Soul, Decisive Pumpkin, Gullwing, Sleeping Lion, Fenrir, Ultima, Mysterious Abyss

*Got from Tron in Space Paranoids

Drives: Valor, Wisdom, Limit, Master, Final, Digital Twilight Drive – Susanoomon

Status: True Hero

* * *

Name: Takuya

Spirits collected: Fire, Earth, Wood, Ice, Wind, Water, Thunder, Metal, Light, and Darkness

Evolutions: Flamon, Agunimon, BurningGreymon, Aldamon, EmperorGreymon

Drives: Digital Twilight Drive – Susanoomon

Status: True Hero

New Attack: Atomic Inferno Drill

* * *

Name: Roxas

Occupation: 13th Member of Organization 13 and Sora's nobody

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Oblivion and Oathkeeper in duel wield, others unused

(Different game!)

* * *

Name: Xion

Occupation: 14th Member of Organization 13, but not a TRUE Nobody. Replica of Sora's memories about Kairi

Keyblades: Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper

Original Fate: Removed from everyone's memories by Namine after being absorbed into Roxas so Sora can get HIS memories back.

* * *

Name: Riku

Occupation: Keyblade wielder, User of Darkness

Keyblades: Soul Eater, Oblivion (temporary), Way to Dawn

* * *

Name: Kairi

Occupation: Princess of Heart and love interest of Sora, Keyblade wielder, User of Light

Keyblade: Destiny Place

* * *

Name: King Mickey Mouse

Occupation: Keyblade Wielder, King of Disney Castle

Keyblade: King's Crown (I don't really care that it's Kingdom Key D, or whatever, this is more distinguished, so it's what I'm working with)

Later,

RDF1


	13. End of All Things, yet a New Beginning!

RDF1: Oh man! It's finally here!

Dx: Hey! Don't forget about…

Jenny: He doesn't need reminding from you!

Lone Raindrop: Well, you can't really blame him, can you? After all, he's only human.

RDF1: (sweatdrops) I don't think me being human has anything to do with this fic.

Pyros: It's better than being a Nobody, right?

RDF1: (eye twitches) I hate it when you have a point.

Dx: Well, get on with it already.

RDF1: I would if you guys wouldn't mind NOT bothering me right now.

Okay, it's time for the finale. I have no clue how long this will REALLY be, because I'm doing a lot more than just doing a finale. I'm doing something extra at the end. Consider it an epilogue of sorts to both sides. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed his or her experience reading this fic…

Dx: AND IF YOU HAVEN'T? WHY'D YOU READ THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Disclaimer: Don't own, see previous chapters for specifics, etc. etc. etc.

(Chapter Begin)

(Recap)

"_SORA!" called out Kairi, "Where are you?"_

"_Takuya!" shouted Riku, "Answer me!"_

_A portal of nothingness opened and released Sora and Takuya, back in their original forms, from Xemnas's battlefield._

"_Sora!" shouted Kairi, as they rushed over to them._

_Sora got up, though feeling tired still had some fight left in him. Takuya also got up, but he was out of power, for the moment._

"_You guys okay?" asked Mickey._

"_Where's Xemnas?" asked Sora, who knew Xemnas wasn't through yet._

_They all felt his presence just then, right at the Heart of the Heart-Shaped Moon. Xemnas called out to Kingdom Hearts, hoping to merge and become one, to destroy those that would oppose them. Mickey and Sora called out to him, trying to get him from making a foolish mistake, but it was too late._

"_THAT FOOL ANSEM SAID THAT THE HEARTS' TRUE NATURE WAS BEYOND HIS UNDERSTANDING!" shouted Xemnas, his mind blinded by pure power, "IT IS NOT BEYOND MINE! HEARTS ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL POWER!"_

_Then Xemnas disappeared in a bright flash of light, blinding the others for a few moments._

"_You won't get away with this!" shouted Sora._

"_But how can we get to Kingdom Hearts," said Takuya, "Didn't you guys lock the door?"_

"_We locked one door," said Mickey, maybe Xemnas found another."_

"_I can call upon a door, I think," said Kairi._

_Being a Princess of Heart, Kairi had a deep connection with the Light and the Heart of all Worlds, Kingdom Hearts. She focused on that connection and summoned a door, but it was closed._

"_The worlds gave Kairi the ability to call forth this Doorway for us," said Mickey, "They want US to become the Guardians of their Destinies."_

"_Once we open that door," added Riku, "We can't return until it's over. Victory or annihilation will become our destiny."_

"_Right," said Sora, "It's time we ended this, once and for all." _

_Sora, Riku, and Mickey followed Kairi's lead, by summoning the Kingdom Key, Way to Dawn, and King's Crown Keyblades and opened the door. They made their way through and prepared themselves for the biggest battle they have faced so far._

(Recap End)

As they entered the door, they found themselves in a place similar to the place they just left; however, it was different, a more evil feeling, if that were possible. Xemnas stood before them, miles away on a tower with a mighty machine of his creation, ready for battle.

"So, it seems your hearts have led you to destruction," said Xemnas, as if continuing the earlier conversation in normal terms, "Perhaps it doesn't PAY to be loyal to one's own heart. I'll need to remember that in the future."

He used his powers to send a building flying right at them, forcing them to make a tactical retreat; however, this forced the door to close on them, leaving behind Mickey, Kairi, and Takuya from the battle.

"It's okay," said Takuya, taking out Ultima, "We can take him on our own!"

"I'll follow your lead!" replied Riku, taking out Way to Dawn.

(AN1)

* * *

"SORA!" shouted Kairi, worried for one she loved.

"Now we can't help them!" added Mickey.

"Uh, guys," said Takuya, turning around to see two Twilight Thorn Nobodies ready for battle, "I think we have our own problems."

The other two turned and instantly felt fear trying to seep into their hearts at the challenge before them, but were able to fight it off, knowing that they could handle it together.

"EXECUTE! FUSION EVOLUTION!" shouted Takuya, turning into Aldamon.

"Takuya," said Mickey, bringing out King's Crown, "You could barely take on one as EmperorGreymon, what makes you think you can win as Aldamon?"

"Something tells me, I need to do this with my own spirits," said Aldamon, powering up his shields, "Besides, let's see how powerful our Princess of Light really is?"

Aldamon flew into battle, knocking one Twilight Thorn off the Alter of Naught. As they fell, Aldamon let loose an Atomic Barrage, but did minimal Damage.

"That's how you want to play, huh?" said Aldamon, spreading his wings to adjust his flight path. The Twilight Thorn stopped itself from heading down into the pit by holding onto one of the towers of the castle.

'Wow, did we really just scale that thing on foot when I could've flown us up the whole way?' thought Aldamon with a sweatdrop.

(AN2)

Aldamon pushed that thought aside as he dodged a punch from the free hand of the Twilight Thorn.

"I see," said Aldamon, focusing power into his hands, "SOLAR WIND DESTROYER!"

The Twilight Thorn blocked it with its free hand, but the hand covered its vision long enough for Aldamon to unlock his inner power.

"ATOMIC INFERNO DRILL!" shouted Aldamon, plowing right through the center of the Twilight Thorn, forcing it to let go of the tower and fall into the pit below, where it disappeared into Nothingness.

Aldamon flew up to find that Kairi and Mickey were able to finish off the other Twilight Thorn.

* * *

After seeing Aldamon fly down with the first Twilight Thorn, Mickey and Kairi turned their attention to the other one.

"This isn't going to be easy," said Mickey.

"When is it ever?" asked Kairi, bringing out Destiny Place and started focusing power into it, "We can handle it, together."

"Right," said Mickey, before starting his attack.

Due to his size and speed, Mickey was able to land a fury of blows on the Twilight Thorn without it being able to counter. Kairi focused on using Magic to battle the Twilight Thorn, as her physical strength wasn't as good as Sora's or Riku's. The Twilight Thorn finally managed to capture Mickey as he scaled the Nobody to reach its head.

"MICKEY!" shouted Kairi, focusing more power into her Keyblade, "LIGHT BURST!"

She aimed her Keyblade at the Twilight Thorn's head and unleashed an enormous burst of Light Energy that knocked the Giant Nobody back. This allowed Mickey to finish it off with a few quick strikes. Kairi fell back, exhausted from using so much energy in one attack. They noticed Aldamon returning from below, having defeated his Twilight Thorn.

"Are you alright?" asked Takuya, as he landed.

"I'll be fine," said Kairi, feeling winded.

"We're both okay," said Mickey, "It's the others we need to worry about."

However, as if fate had planned it, Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy managed to return safely, Xemnas apparently defeated.

"I need," said Xemnas, truly in pain now, "More rage. I need more… Hearts."

"Xemnas," said Sora, almost feeling sorry for the Nobody, almost, "A heart is more than anger or hatred. It holds all kinds of emotion, like love."

Sora turned to look at Kairi, who blushed with a small smile.

"Don't you remember?" finished Sora.

"Unfortunately, I don't," replied Xemnas, before disappearing again.

(AN3)

"You okay?" asked Takuya.

"We're just fine," replied Donald.

"It'll take more than the likes of him to finish the four of us off," added Goofy.

"That's good to know," said Takuya, before they heard Riku speaking out.

"I had given into the Darkness!" said Riku, sounding like he hated himself. He turned to Sora, "How am I gonna face everyone?"

"Like this!" replied Sora, pulling a funny face that even Riku couldn't help but laugh at.

"Maybe not exactly like that," said Takuya, as he walked over with the others, "But you gotta face them. That's the only way for you to know if they forgive you or not."

"I guess I can do that," said Riku, before a tremor went through the castle.

"Hurry!" said Mickey, "We've got to get out of here."

"I could fly us down," suggested Takuya.

"It's not fast enough," replied Sora, "We need a portal."

"I can summon one," said Riku.

He held out his hand as if to summon a Portal of Darkness, he was surprised when nothing happened.

"It's because you don't belong in the Dark Realm anymore, Riku," said Mickey.

"It's more like, you needed Xehanort's Darkness to call upon the portal," said Takuya, "You don't need his power anymore. That in turn makes it so that you don't need to travel through Darkness anymore."

"Then how will we get out of here, your majesty?" asked Donald.

"Say please," said Namine, who had summoned a portal.

"Thanks, Namine," said Mickey, as he, Donald, and Goofy made their way to the portal, followed by Pluto.

The others laughed. Namine turned to them and Sora and Kairi approached her.

"Thank you, Namine," said Kairi.

"Of course," replied Namine.

"Thank you, for everything," said Sora.

"It's the least I could do after what I did," said Namine.

"That wasn't your fault," said Sora, "That was the Organization's."

"And see," said Namine, speaking to Roxas and Xion, "We meet again, like we promised."

Roxas and Xion exited Sora, looking as ghostly as Namine was.

"Thank you, for telling me what I needed to know," said Xion.

"Of course," replied Namine

"You'd said we'd meet again," said Roxas, "But when we did, we might not recognize each other."

"I did, didn't I?" said Namine, "I thought all Nobodies were doomed to fade back into Nothingness, but you and I didn't."

"And neither did Axel," said Sora, "He's back in Radiant Garden, waiting for us I suppose."

"Right," said Namine.

"What about me?" asked Xion, "I'm not a nobody, I'm a replica. Can I stay and exist as well?"

"That depends," said Takuya, who as talking with Riku until now, having handed him one of the three charms that were made, "How badly do you want to live with your friends?"

"I'd do anything," said Xion, "If it meant I could be with my friends."

"Sora," said Takuya, "It's almost time to use that charm."

"Right," said Sora, nodding.

"Kairi," said Takuya, "Here, you'll know when the time is right to use it."

"Thank you," said Kairi, accepting the charm.

"Now," said Takuya, heading for the portal, "Let's get out of here."

The others agreed, Namine rejoining with Kairi as Roxas and Xion returning to Sora. However, without Namine to sustain the portal, it started to fade. The Altar began to collapse, forcing everyone away from the portal as it closed.

"NO!" shouted Sora, knowing that they couldn't return now.

"XEMNAS!" shouted Takuya, looking in the distance where an enormous Dragon Nobody was making its way to the Altar, having escaped from Kingdom Hearts.

"Let's go, Takuya," said Sora, delving into his power of Light and Darkness again.

"Right," replied Takuya as both of them headed for the edge.

"SORA!" shouted Kairi as they both jumped off.

"Kairi!" said Riku, rushing to a different edge and jumping off onto an air-bike with a side platform, "Hop on!"

"Okay!" said Kairi, sliding down and jumping onto the platform.

"Get your Keyblade ready," said Riku, "This is going to be a rough battle."

Meanwhile, as they were falling, Takuya brought out his D-Tector.

"ANCIENT SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

"DIGITAL TWILIGHT DRIVE!"

"SUSANOOMON!"

Susanoomon flew up before landing and readied himself for battle against the Dragon Nobody.

An army of flying Nobodies appeared to take them out, when Riku and Kairi flew by a few times, taking out some Nobodies with each pass.

"We'll handle these guys," said Riku, who was driving.

"You guys handle the Dragon," added Kairi, who was slightly out of breath from Riku's driving skills.

(AN4)

"Right," replied Susanoomon.

'What's the plan Takuya?' asked Sora.

'I think the Spirits can do this one,' replied Takuya, letting the power of the Spirits take over.

"HEAVEN'S THUNDER!" shouted Susanoomon, summoning spiraling clouds over the Dragon Nobody, making it stop in place.

Susanoomon called forth his power and released it into the clouds, forming multiple Thunder Dragons that attacked various parts of the Dragon Nobody's body.

'Sora, your turn,' said Takuya.

'Right,' said Sora after a moment, amazed at the Spirits' Knowledge over the powers of Susanoomon.

"RAGNAROK!" shouted Susanoomon, summoning Ultima and unleashing a HUGE surge of power.

The Power of Ragnarok combined with the Thunder Dragons, was enough to severely damage the Dragon Nobody and send it plummeting into the nonexistent ground below. Before they realized it, a bright flash warped the Dimensions around them and they saw the front half of the Dragon sticking out of a nonexistent wall, the 'King' waiting for them on the head.

When they landed, the air-bike was sucked into a black hole behind them and Sora and Takuya reverted to Normal as the Drive wore out.

"Ready to end this," said Riku.

"Let's do it, together," said Sora.

"Guys," said Takuya, "Now's the time for the charms. Riku's with me on Offense; Sora, you and Kairi need to summon our reinforcements."

(AN5)

Riku and Takuya charged at the Nobody King, Takuya calling forth his inner strength and evolving into Agunimon along the way.

Riku brought out the charm and held it in the palm of his left hand. He grasped Way to Dawn with both hands, and when he separated them, his was holding Way to Dawn on the right, and Soul Eater on the left. Despite having questions, Riku decided that it could wait until later to ask him as he battled with Two Keyblades, something that he hadn't had much practice in before.

Meanwhile, Sora and Kairi had brought out their charms, and focused their power into them: Twilight for Sora, and Light for Kairi. A bright flash blinded them for a moment before seeing Roxas and Xion battle ready, while Namine was standing back, being protected by her two friends.

"You guys ready," said Sora, knowing not to question Takuya's methods anymore and summoning the Two Become One Keyblade.

"We were born ready!" replied Roxas and Xion together.

Roxas called out Oblivion while Xion called out Oathkeeper. Sora delved into his power as Anti-Sora and the three of them rushed off into battle to help Riku and Agunimon.

The King didn't fell many of their blows, despite each blow causing a decent amount of damage to his health. He summoned forth his power and tried to blow back all seven fighters. Agunimon got in front of them and tried to prevent the power from knocking away his friends. Unfortunately, he was blown back to the Black Hole instead.

"You'll pay for that!" shouted Sora, returning back to normal, "POWER OF TWILIGHT! FINAL FORM DRIVE!"

Combining again with Roxas and Xion, Sora changed into Final Form, his power tripled from his last battle in that form, and used a combination of Final Strike and Final Arcana along with a Limit Breaker with Riku. They turned to see BurningGreymon land, ready for another round when he saw that the dimensions were being warped again, this time in the Realm of Nothingness. The light and Darkness mixed badly here, creating a rough plane of nothingness to exist.

"Anger and Hate are SUPREME!" said Xemnas, his own cloak a bad mix of Light and Darkness as well; yet, his power was even greater than before as they were in the realm of Nothingness now.

"We'll just see about that!" shouted Sora, who was back to normal.

The group of seven was about to charge in when Roxas and Namine began to fade, as being in the realm of Nothingness, only the strongest Nobodies survived.

"NO!" said Takuya, turning into Aldamon and charging Xemnas, "They're existence won't end here! I'LL SEE TO THAT!"

While Aldamon kept Xemnas busy, the other six gathered around each other. Noting everyone there, Sora realized what he needed to do. He just hoped he had the power to pull it off.

"Guys," said Sora, getting their attention, "I think I know a way to save Roxas and Namine."

"What is it?" asked Xion, not wanting to lose two of her three friends that she first met.

"It's going to be tricky," explained Sora, "But I hope I can call upon a new drive, one that combines all six of our powers together."

"That's impossible," said Roxas, in pain from his body fading slowly, "You can barely manage with two."

"He can do it," said Kairi, looking at Riku and nodding, "He's not alone."

"We're right here with him," added Riku, nodding back to Kairi.

"Thanks guys," said Sora, glad that his two closest friends were with him all the way.

The three Keyblade Warriors focused on their inner element: Kairi on Light, Riku on Darkness, and Sora on both as Twilight.

"FINAL DRIVE FORM!" shouted Sora, Kairi, and Riku, "TWILIGHT AND NOTHINGNESS COMBINE!"

A brilliant flash of gold blinded both Aldamon and Xemnas for a moment before it died down revealing Sora, in his Final Form clothing, giving off a golden glow. In place of Oblivion and Oathkeeper, Way to Dawn and Destiny place are at the ready. Sora opened his eyes, one in a greenish tint like Riku's, the other, a bluish tint like Kairi's. His hair was now blond, with a black spike in the middle. Lastly, his Crown Necklace now had dark wisps of smoke fading off of it.

(AN6)

"Sora?" asked Aldamon, wondering what happened. He knew Sora still had potential yet to be unlocked, but this was beyond even what he imagined, "Is that you?"

"All of us," said Sora, his voice echoing a bit, "Time to end this! Once and for all!"

Aldamon knew he was in the way and wisely got out of there as Sora charged in, his feet not even touching the nonexistent ground. Xemnas went to attack him with his Aero Blades, but Sora managed to block them both, with his hands no less.

"A Double Blade catch?" said Aldamon; in awe that Sora managed to do something even he couldn't do while wielding a weapon, and he only managed to pull it off thanks to his shields.

Xemnas was also stunned by Sora's defensive maneuver that he didn't even notice the Keyblades had moved until both Way to Dawn and Destiny Place struck him horizontally. Sora continued his assault, forcing Xemnas on the defensive for a few seconds before making a counterstrike. Sora then used the Keyblades to block Xemnas's attacks while he charged up a blast of Twilight and knocked Xemnas across the nonexistent floor. Aldamon then landed next to him.

"Shall we?" asked Aldamon, focusing his power into his hands.

"Let's," replied Sora, powering up a blast of Twilight in his hands.

"TWILIGHT WIND DESTROYER!" shouted Aldamon and Sora.

The Solar Wind Destroyer, powered by the blast of Twilight, did enormous amounts of damage to Xemnas, but he wasn't done yet. Unfortunately, the blast took away the rest of their power, forcing Aldamon to revert back to Takuya, and Sora's Drive form to finish, bringing back Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Namine, and Xion. Xemnas summoned thousands of Aero Blades, each ready to pierce each of them a hundred times over. Sora, Riku, and Roxas looked at each other before nodding, bringing out Ultima, Way to Dawn, and Kingdom Key respectively. Soon the Aero Blades moved to attack them, only for Sora, Riku, and Roxas to block each and every one of them before they got to close. After the blades disappear, Xemnas floated above them, the last of his power focused into his hands.

"So close," said Xemnas, summoning one more blast of Nothingness, "But all for Naught. Nothingness is as eternal as Light and Darkness! You cannot defeat me!"

"You're right," said Takuya, changing into Flamon.

Everyone gathered around Sora as he summoned the Kingdom Key once more and held it out in front of him.

"Light is Eternal," said the girls, placing their hands on Sora's.

"As well as Darkness," added the boys, Roxas and Riku adding their hands.

"Nothing can go on forever as well for all I care," finished Flamon, placing his hand on the others, "But guess what!"

"What?" asked Xemnas.

"YOU'RE NOT!" everyone shouted, blasting Xemnas with a blast of Light, Darkness, Nothingness, AND Flames.

Just before he finally faded away into Nothingness, he managed to summon 1,000 Nobody Dusks to finish them off. Everyone was exhausted, but Flamon wasn't done yet.

"It's time to end this," said Flamon, summoning his power once more, despite the strain it was placing on himself.

He summoned flames around the group, protecting them from the Nobodies, before spreading it around, destroying all 1,000 Nobody Dusks. When the flames died down, Takuya was nowhere to be seen.

"Takuya!" shouted Sora.

"He'll be fine," said Riku, getting help from Xion, "I don't know how, but I know that he'll be fine."

It didn't take long for another bright flash to blind all of them, sending them to separate worlds.

* * *

(Destiny Islands)

"Are you sure we have to do it?" asked Donald.

"We have to," replied Mickey, who as able to get Axel to summon back Takuya from the Realm of Nothingness, "He knows too much about his own world, his own powers, for us to do anything different."

Mickey casted a spell that his Master, Yen Sid, taught him during his years of training under him. This spell was designed to be used in case of emergencies, to prevent the future from being altered too much. Merlin also knew this spell, as he did know what happened when someone knew too much about his or her own future. This spell made Takuya forget everything after his world was taken over by Darkness. The last thing he remembered was boarding the Dark Trailmon back to the Digital World, and Mickey had Axel send him back to his World, where he belonged.

Soon afterwards, a bright flash blinded them for a few moments, and it died down to reveal three girls: Kairi, Namine, and Xion.

"The Girls!" shouted Donald, rushing over to them.

"You girls alright?" asked Mickey, as they helped the girls up to a sitting position.

"Where's Sora?" asked Kairi.

"Oh no!" said Namine, realizing what had happened.

"There not here," said Xion, knowing what Namine was getting at, "That means…"

"They're in the Realm of Darkness," said Namine.

"I'm going after them," said Xion, getting up and trying to summon a portal, but nothing happened.

"It won't work," said Namine, "Only those wielding Darkness can freely enter and exit that place. Not even Riku can summon a portal as he doesn't solely rely on Darkness anymore."

"Can they get back?" asked Kairi.

"I don't know," said Namine.

"They have to," said Xion, "I'm not losing my friends all over again!"

"You're not the only one who wants that," said Kairi.

Even though they didn't like it, the girls resigned to wait on the boys, so that they could live together again.

* * *

(Realm of Darkness)

Sora, Riku, and Roxas where leaning on each other for support as they made their way to the Ocean.

"Ya'know," said Riku, "I always thought I was better at stuff than you, Sora."

"Don't feel bad," said Sora, "I thought the same thing too, until…"

"Until when?" asked Riku, now curious.

"Until he battled 1,000 Heartless all by himself at once," said Roxas, making both of them to look at him, "What? How long do you need to be merged with someone to know not only what they're thinking, but also how powerful they are?"

"I don't know whether to say that's creepy, or scary," said Riku.

"I'd say both," replied Sora.

After a few seconds, all three of them busted out laughing, letting go of each other to prevent themselves from falling over.

"This place is perfect for someone like me," said Riku, after their laughter died down, "Someone who lives in Darkness, as I have."

"You're not the only one," said Roxas, "I was here, once. This place is one of the most peaceful worlds I've been to, including the Light Worlds. We should be fine, here."

"Light and Darkness in balance," said Sora, "The Girls can stay in Light, we'll stay in Darkness."

They made their way to edge of the beach and sat down and waited. Time passed, and though it might have felt like hours, only 15 minutes passed by before Riku noticed something bumping against his foot.

"What's that?" asked Riku, as he picked up the bottle. He opened it and took out the letter. After reading who it was from, he handed it to Sora, "This is for you."

"Who's it from?" asked Sora, before he began reading:

Thinking of you wherever you are

We pray for our sorrows to end

And hope that our Hearts will blend

Now I will step forward to realize this wish

And who knows? Starting a Journey might not be so hard

Or maybe it's already begun?

There are many worlds

But they all have the same sky

One sky, one destiny

Sora felt something light up in his heart, as if someone was calling out to him.

'Kairi,' he thought, and a portal of light opened up before them.

"Light," said Riku, amazed by the sight.

"The Door to Light," said Sora.

"They're calling us home," said Roxas, as he stood up, "Or rather, she's calling you home, Sora."

Sora blushed as he stood up, but he wasn't embarrassed. He turned to Riku, who managed to stand up as well.

"Shall we?" asked Sora.

The others nodded and they all stepped forward into the Door to Light.

* * *

(Digital World)

Agunimon looked around the crater that was the battlefield where he and his friends battled Duskmon. Something told him he had been gone longer than he thought, but he shook that thought away as he began his search for his friends.

* * *

(Destiny Island)

After half an hour, Kairi wondered if Sora was going to come back, when Xion noticed something in the sky.

"What's that?" shouted Xion.

Everyone turned and looked to the sky to see three lights falling down and landing in the ocean, just yards from the Island. When they broke the surface, the girls recognized them to be Sora, Roxas, and Riku, finally returning from their long journey.

"SORA!" shouted Kairi.

"ROXAS!" shouted Namine.

"Riku!" added Xion.

The guys looked at each other before smiling and heading to the Island. Before Sora was able to make it to land, Donald and Goofy ran out and tackled him back into the sea. Mickey ran out to greet Riku, his closest friend for the past year and a half. Roxas and Namine met in a tender hug.

"Bout time," whispered Namine.

"Like I could live better without you," replied Roxas, also whispering.

Sora finally got Donald and Goofy off of him long enough to bring out Kairi's Charm.

"I told you I'd be back," said Sora, holding out the charm.

"That you did," said Kairi, grabbing the charm in his hand and brought him up for a tight hug, "Thank you, for everything."

"I'd travel the worlds all over again just to be with you, Kairi," said Sora.

Everyone looked on at the sight, glad that they finally admitted their feelings. Xion took that opportunity to hug Riku from behind.

"Thank you," said Xion, "For everything."

"All I did was help you realize what Xemnas wanted all along," replied Riku, "The others didn't care as much, and would only be satisfied with their Hearts back. You were different."

"I wasn't a Nobody," countered Xion.

"And you were different," finalized Riku.

"So," said Sora, to King Mickey, "What now? Do we go find Takuya?"

"Takuya's no longer our concern," said Mickey, sighing a bit, "He's back where he belongs. And you can't see him. I know it's not what you want, but it has to be that way."

Riku placed his hand on Sora's shoulder, before he could make a remark.

"Takuya's back home. That's all he needs right now," said Riku, "Let's let him enjoy being home for a change."

"I guess your right," said Sora, "Besides, we got plenty of time to see him later. Right now, I'm just glad to be home as well."

Sora looked at Kairi with bright smile on his face, which Kairi returned.

"We better get going as well," said Mickey, "Minnie's been wondering where I've been for the past two years, and I've got a lot of explaining to do."

"Daisy's waiting as well," replied Donald, knowing that his loved one's temper.

"Let's head home," said Goofy, as Mickey called forth the Gummy Ship.

"We'll keep in touch," said Mickey, before the three of them headed for Disney Castle, and home.

"I'm ready to head home," said Sora, looking ready to collapse after the series of battles he went through.

"You're not the only one," added Riku, who also went through a gauntlet of battles himself.

"Oh, Roxas," said Xion, bringing out a letter, "Mickey gave me this. It's from Axel."

"Really!" said Roxas, glad that his friend was alright.

Dear Roxas and Xion,

If you guys are reading this, then Takuya's plan actually worked. I'll be by to visit soon enough, but I'll be chilling in Radiant Garden for the time being. Looking forward to seeing you guys again. I'll bring Sea-Salt Ice Cream for the occasion.

Your friend,

Axel.

"We look forward to it, right Xion?" said Roxas.

"Exactly," replied Xion.

"Let's head home," said Namine, "Together."

So, the group of six made their way onto the boat and headed for home, Sora and Riku sleeping most of the way.

* * *

(Digital World)

It wasn't easy, but Takuya managed to find a way to rescue his friends and drive off Mercurymon and Calmaramon. He tried to apologize, but to his surprise, they already forgave him.

"I guess I really owe you one, Koji," said JP, for the beating he went through before Agunimon made his triumphant return.

"Nah," replied Koji, turning to Takuya, "All of us owe Takuya; you've really changed."

"Yeah," agreed Takuya, feeling like he's changed a lot in such a short time, "I hardly recognize myself."

This confused everyone, as they didn't think Takuya would have changed this much.

"I don't really feel like a kid anymore," said Takuya, holding out his D-Tector, "I starting to understand what it truly means to be a Digimon. We're in for an amazing ride, all of us!"

Inside his D-Tector, Agunimon nodded, knowing what Takuya went through, and what more he had to face.

(AN7)

(Time Change)

"STRIKE OF THE SEVEN **DARK** STARS!" shouted ShadowSeraphimon, blasting BurningGreymon with more than enough power to turn him back into Takuya and breaking his goggles in the process.

'Ow,' thought Takuya as he landed, 'Something tells me I've been through something like this before. This can't be the end.'

He couldn't hear everything that ShadowSeraphimon was saying, but he got the point: he was going to die by his hand.

"You haven't beaten me yet," said Takuya, trying to search for some inner power that he felt was there, but couldn't access for some reason.

"Then allow me to correct that little oversight," replied ShadowSeraphimon, walking towards Takuya and picking him up by his head, "Fear not, it will all be over."

Takuya groaned as he continued to search for the power, but it just wouldn't show itself. At the lack of response from Takuya, ShadowSeraphimon continued.

"What? No witty quips?" asked ShadowSeraphimon.

"Why waste my breathe on a jerk like you?" countered Takuya, giving ShadowSeraphimon what he wanted and angered him at the same time. He finally gave up on the power being there, as a tear rolled down. It was the end; he had nothing left.

"It will be purest pleasure to destroy thee," said ShadowSeraphimon, before he began to squeeze Takuya's head little by little.

'This can't be it,' thought Takuya before crying out in his head, 'I need help! HELP!'

'**TAKUYA!**' shouted a voice he hadn't heard in a long time, '**Use the last of my power to Evolve into a higher form and get back my Data.**'

(AN8)

Takuya felt a surge of power flow through him, he smirked as the pressure from ShadowSeraphimon's hand disappeared.

"What trickery be this!" exclaimed ShadowSeraphimon.

Filled by Seraphimon's power, Takuya looked around to see his two spirits, in harmony once more, not that he remembered.

'This is a new… Evolution,' thought Takuya, before calling forth Seraphimon's power.

"You're in for a BIG surprise!" said Takuya, the power radiating and forcing ShadowSeraphimon back.

"Do your worst!" challenged ShadowSeraphimon, before being blasted back by Seraphimon's power, "WHAT! This cannot be!"

Takuya stood there, red aura radiating about him as he felt power rush through his spirit.

"Thou dost not frighten me!" said ShadowSeraphimon, trying to convince himself as much as Takuya, if not more so, "Seriously!"

"OH YEAH! THEN TELL ME SOMETHING…" shouted Takuya, flames burning all around him, "DO I SCARE YOU NOW!"

Takuya, with the power of Seraphimon, managed to repair his broken goggles, and subsequently Fusion Evolve into Aldamon.

(AN9)

(Time Change)

Takuya had reached a decision: Mercurymon/Sakkakumon REALLY ticked him off now. After not only using their own attacks against them, but using their fear of the dark against them as well, Takuya had it. He snapped, but not before realizing what Kazemon and Kumamon did. They combined their attacks, creating a brand new one. He knew how to defeat Sakkakumon now.

"STOP IT!" shouted Aldamon, to Sakkakumon as much as his friends, "STOP IT, RIGHT NOW! NO MORE FEAR!"

"But, the Darkness…" started Kazemon.

"Stop saying that!" cut off Aldamon, with more venom than he intended, as if speaking badly of Darkness had suddenly become a crime, "With faith, we can win!"

"Sorry pal!" whined Beetlemon, "But faith alone won't get us through this!"

"Listen to me!" urged Aldamon, trying to keep the team together, "There's still only one of him…"

"But that hasn't stopped him from beating us to this point," countered Beetlemon.

"Close your eyes," said Aldamon, hoping they would be able to understand how he had about using more than just sight to find an opponent and win a battle.

(AN10)

"Wha?" questioned the other three.

"I said: CLOSE YOUR EYES!" commanded Takuya, in a tone that the others decided not to argue against, "We are not humans now. We're Digimon. Our senses are stronger and sharper than when we are in our human form. You have to trust the Digimon inside of you."

After taking a few moments to calm their minds, the fear quickly vanished and was replaced by the strength and courage they always had, now that Takuya reminded them.

"The four of us are not alone," said Takuya, "Our power lies in the faith that we have in each other. Even if you can't Fusion Evolve, that doesn't mean you're not strong enough. We can still use _all_ of our attacks, **together**!"

(AN11)

(Time Change)

"You must gather your spirits together, as one," said Ophanimon, as Takuya's and Koji's D-Tectors changed.

"What's going on?" asked Koji.

"I don't know," replied Takuya, though he had a hunch.

"With the last of my power, I managed to evolve your Two D-Tectors, just as Seraphimon was able to," finished Ophanimon, "Use our power to help Cherubimon and purify his corrupted Data; I beg you."

"We'll do what we can," promised Takuya, as they watched Ophanimon's egg float up into the sky, and towards Primary Village.

"We know what we have to do," said Zoey.

"Gather our spirits together," said Tommy, "But how do we do that?"

"Maybe the book has a clue," suggested Neemon.

"Come on," said Takuya, his patience wearing thin, "Give me a sign…"

Agunimon appeared on his screen.

'**You must search within yourself,**' said Agunimon.

'I understand,' replied Takuya, knowing that Agunimon was right.

"Everyone be quiet for a moment!" urged Takuya, as the babbling was distracting him, "We all have to search for the answers inside ourselves."

Everyone closed their eyes, and felt the power of each spirit flowing through them.

"Yes…" started Koichi, "If our…"

"Feelings…" followed Tommy.

"Are one…" added Zoey.

"We can…" said JP.

"Evolve," finished Koji.

'Together, unified,' thought Takuya, before saying aloud, "That's it!"

"We have all Ten Legendary Warriors on our side," said Koji.

"With their power, along with Seraphimon and Ophanimon's power," added Takuya, "We can win, together."

"Earth into Flame," said JP, giving Grumblemon's Human spirit to Takuya's D-Tector.

"Water into Light," added Zoey, sending the Water Spirits to Koji's D-Tector.

"Wood into Flame," followed up Koji.

"And Metal into the Light," finished Takuya.

Soon enough, Cherubimon was up and ready to rumble.

"I'm not ascared!" said Patamon, in an attempt to be brave.

"We have ALL the Spirits on our side!" said Takuya.

"Time to Unify them and purify Cherubimon!" added Koji, "Ophanimon's counting on us."

"Wind into Flame!" shouted Zoey.

"Ice into Flame!" shouted Tommy.

"Thunder into Light!" shouted JP.

"Darkness into Light!" shouted Koichi.

UNITY EXECUTE! UNIFIED SPIRIT EVOLUTION!

"You ready for this," said MagnaGarurumon.

"Are you kidding," said EmperorGreymon, "I was born ready!"

'I just hope I can remember whatever it is that's bugging me about something like this happening before,' thought Takuya, as he felt some blocked memory nagging at the back of his mind.

(AN12)

(Time Change)

Takuya could only watch on in horror as his friend was being deleted right before his very eyes. Koichi sacrificed himself to protect them, but ended up turning into a spirit himself, his data ripe for the pickings by Lucemon.

"Take the spirits of Darkness," said Koichi, "And use both to defeat Lucemon! I am proud to be your brother."

"Koichi," said Koji, his heart breaking at the sight of his brother like this.

'NO!' thought Takuya, 'This wasn't supposed to happen! Koichi, you didn't have to do that. There HAD to be another way.'

Koichi disappeared into Data, and was downloaded by Lucemon.

"KOICHI!" shouted Koji, before feeling the powers of Darkness fighting their way to the surface, wanting justice for what happened to Koichi.

"LUCEMON!" shouted Takuya, taking out his D-Tector, "I WON'T LET YOU DO ANYMORE HARM! WE **WILL** STOP YOU!"

"Oh," replied Lucemon, not feeling threatened yet, "And how's that? Your friend can't handle both Light AND Darkness in his human form."

"We'll see about that," said Takuya, as three words appeared in his head, "SPIRITS OF FLAME!"

"LIGHT AND DARKNESS!" added Koji, bringing out both Light and Darkness.

The others managed to get out their three D-Tectors just in time for their Spirits to enter the sphere of fire.

"COMBINE!" shouted Takuya and Koji, "ANCIENT SPIRITS UNITE!"

"SUSANOOMON!" shouted Susanoomon, in a combined voice of Takuya and Koji.

(AN13)

(Time Change)

(Takuya's POV)

I watched in horror as an elevator landed just a few feet in front of me.

"Oh no!" I said, realizing what that meant, "He's already reached the real world! That's it! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

I summoned data around his hand as I prepared to become EmperorGreymon. Koji grabbed my hand before I could read the data.

"Takuya, STOP!" said Koji, "Don't you remember? Lucemon's invulnerable!"

'Crap!' I thought, thinking back to our assault on Lucemon, only for him to heal it over, "How could I forget? But, we gotta do something!"

"If we charge in like this now, we'll be destroyed for sure!" reasoned Koji.

'Why do I always hate it when he's right?' I realized, as I released the grip and the data, 'I feel so useless right now!'

"What should we do?" I asked aloud.

"Why not turn into Susanoomon?" spoke up Neemon, "That will solve everything!"

'Always making it sound so easy,' I thought, 'I'd almost envy Neemon if it weren't for Bokomon snapping his pants all the time.'

My thoughts were proven true as Bokomon simply grabbed his waistband for the umpteenth time, and rebuking him for making such an impossible request.

"He's right. We're out of Miracles! There's nothing we can do to stop Lucemon!" I said, as I went over to the downed Elevator and started pushing it, to no avail, "I CAN'T EVEN MOVE THIS STUPID ELEVATOR! I MEAN, WHO ARE WE KIDDING? TRYING TO SAVE THE DIGITAL WORLD? WHAT A JOKE! WE WERE BEATEN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AND NOW THE SAME THING HAPPENS EVEN WHEN W'RE TRYING TO SAVE THE REAL WORLD! Come on, you stupid elevator, MOVE! IT'S NOT FAIR! THE WORLD'S GOING TO BE DESTROYED AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT!"

I know everyone's wondering if I had gone insane at this point, and maybe I have. But after everything we went through, I went through, was it all just pointless? Recently after merging with Koji and the spirits into Susanoomon, I had begun to see memories of myself fighting enemies different than Digimon. The creatures didn't even had hearts, or weren't real beings, so I didn't feel regret when I destroyed them. I remember Sora and the others, and everything we did together: All the battles, especially against Xemnas. We were able to defeat him, but we can't defeat someone like Lucemon? What does that say about someone like me? I am to defeat nothing with help of new friends, but not Light and Darkness with my old? That WAS the joke! I didn't tell the others for fear of what they would think, craziness right now aside.

"It's not true, you did everything you could," said Bokomon, "It just wasn't meant to be, I suppose. You can't blame yourselves."

That Bokomon, always trying to rationalize things that didn't need to be rationalized. We failed! That's all there is to it. I've had it with losing! I QUIT!

"Well I can," I said, "We've let everyone down! It's all our fault! We gave it all we had, and it wasn't enough!"

A tear escaped my eye and landed on my D-Tector. I didn't see it, but Agunimon's face appeared on the screen, and then I suddenly felt his presence behind me.

"**Takuya, I never thought YOU were a quitter,**" said Agunimon, and I know he's referring to everything we went through just to get back to this world to try and save it, "**That's right! When things are at their worst, you just have to try harder!**"

I suddenly realized he was right. What was the point in even getting back to this world if you give up on it anyways. He's right: I'M NOT A QUITTER! With renewed heart and spirit, I drew power from within myself: my love for Zoey, my family, and my friends. My inner power that had been locked away when I returned to this world was unlocked once again, and I knew that this was a new start. I continued pushing the elevator, with a 'little' assistance from Agunimon, until it finally fell over. It wasn't impossible after all. There was still a chance.

"**See that?**" said Agunimon, almost sounding like smart aleck, but I didn't mind it right then, "**Your heart is stronger than your head. You just have to have faith.**"

I turned him, my resolve stronger than before. If we were going to do this, we needed to work together now more than ever.

"**So?**" finished Agunimon, NOW sounding like a smart aleck, "**Are you still going to quit?**"

"Try and make me!" I replied, smiling once more.

"**And, you won't be alone,**" said Kazemon, appearing behind Zoey.

"That's for sure!" agreed Zoey.

My heart felt lighter than air feeling her support. I just knew that with my drive to live just for her, we might just win after all.

"**It's always been our strength,**" spoke up Beetlemon.

"You got that right," added JP.

"**Working as one,**" said Kumamon.

"Teamwork!" reiterated Tommy.

"**Believe you can,**" followed up Lobomon.

"And you will," finished Koji.

Looks like I'm not as crazy as I thought. Good to know they're taking this in stride. I just hope Ranamon doesn't mention THAT portion of my adventure with Sora.

"Yeah, I lost heart there," I admitted, but at least I didn't give into darkness. That wouldn't be easy to explain, let alone return to normal TO explain it, "but, good thing I didn't lose my friends. If it weren't for them, and you too, I would still be lost. Thanks to you, I'll never forget it. Now, LET'S SAVE BOTH WORLDS!"

"Yeah!" agreed the others, their courage strengthened as well.

"Uh," spoke up Bokomon, almost forgot he was there, "Can somebody please explain what the Spirits are doing here!"

Neemon followed up by snapping his own pants. That HAD to hurt.

"So," I said after a few moments, "Any ideas on how we can do this?"

"**Just one,**" replied Agunimon, "**We all work together. There are more than just the five of you and the five of us here.**"

"**The Spirits of all TEN Legendary Warriors are here!**" said Beetlemon, and sure enough, the other five Warriors appeared.

"**We defeated Lucemon once, and we can do it again!**" followed up Kumamon, just like before.

"**Especially now that we have ALL of your help!**" added Kazemon.

"**Your courage has made us stronger than we've ever been,**" finished Lobomon, and I knew that was true now that all FIVE of us were ready to battle once more.

"WAKE UP!" said Bokomon, still no believing this, "This can't be real!"

"**THIS IS AS REAL AS IT GETS,**" spoke up Ophanimon, "**The fates of two worlds, hinge on this moment.**"

Now there's a voice I have heard from in a while. We all turned to see Patamon, Salamon, and Lopmon holding hands and focusing their powers to bring forth their Mega forms in ethereal forms.

"**Lucemon is powerful,**" spoke up Cherubimon, "**But remember: in this form, he is evil without conscious.**"

Kinda hard to be taking advice from someone who was once your enemy, but I went with it, now that he was purified.

"**Even so, it will still take everything you have to defeat him,**" added Seraphimon.

Glad to know he's still as wise as ever.

"**Have faith in yourself, and work together, and you will be triumphant,**" finished Ophanimon.

'Way to sound dramatic, Ophanimon,' I thought, but again, I wasn't complaining. I was glad we could still do this.

We turned to the Legendary Warriors, our strength reaching its peak.

"You Legendary Warriors ready to save a couple of worlds," I said, though added mentally, 'Especially after saving them once already from Darkness.'

"**We are if you are,**" replied Agunimon for the whole group, '**If anything, it should easier, as everyone's strengths are pooling together, not just yours.**'

'We'll see about that,' I replied mentally.

Yeah, mental connection with Agunimon; how cool is that? It might be with the others as well, but I'm not going to test it.

"**Again, The Warriors, hold our fate,**" said Ophanimon.

"And us too," I corrected her, as it'll take more than ten spirits to do it this time, "Today, WE WILL WRITE AN ENTIRELY **NEW** LEGEND!"

We all called forth the power of the Warriors, ourselves, and even the Celestial Beings. If Seraphimon could make Koji and I Fusion Evolve, and Ophanimon could allow us to Unity Evolve, then with Cherubimon's power as well, we should be able to call forth the Ancient Evolution.

"EXECUTE!" the five of us shouted, "ANCIENT SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

"We become one!" I started.

"With our hearts," followed up Zoey.

"Our minds," added Koji.

"Our hopes," said Tommy.

"Our strength!" finished JP.

"SUSANOOMON!" we shouted as Susanoomon.

"I knew it would work!" said Neemon, glad that he was right for once.

We didn't argue, as for once, we were glad he had faith it would work.

"Right, Susanoomon," said Bokomon, "Time for one last bout with Lucemon. GO FOR IT!"

"Oh yeah," said Susanoomon, "With pleasure!"

We started after Lucemon, knowing that it was all or nothing! It was the END OF THE LINE!

(AN14)

* * *

(No POV)

A few months had passed since Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Takuya returned to their worlds. Sora often wondered if Takuya was able to save his world, like he said he was trying to do. Pushing that thought aside for the moment, he looked out over the big island, and then up to the sky, where the other worlds were.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" said Riku, from his right.

"Nope," Sora replied, "Nothing will."

"What a small world," remarked Riku, now knowing how true it was now.

"But, part of one that's much bigger," added Sora, also knowing how true it was now.

After the journeys they went on, they understood just how big the world could be.

"Hey Riku," spoke up Sora, as Roxas walked up, "What do you think it was, the Door to the Light?

Roxas, formerly Sora's Nobody, found his heart with Namine, Kairi's former Nobody, and vice-versa. Roxas stood next to Riku as he got of the Paopu Fruit Tree to face Sora.

"That's easy," said Riku.

"You still haven't figured it out?" added Roxas.

They both tapped Sora over the place where his Heart resided. Sora placed his hand over his heart, realizing what they meant. Kairi's heart and his heart have a connection. That connection was made stronger by the love they feel for each other. That connection made a door for Sora to reach Kairi. Riku and Roxas followed so they could return home as well, as Roxas's home was with Namine now.

"Sora!" shouted Kairi, running over the bridge with Namine and Xion.

"Roxas!" followed Namine.

"Riku!" finished Xion.

If it weren't for the hair color difference, it would be a lot harder for them to distinguish the girls apart.

"Anything wrong?" asked Sora.

Kairi showed Sora the bottle that had arrived just minutes ago. Inside was a letter with King Mickey's trademarked appearance on one side.

"From the King?" asked Roxas as Sora took out the letter and unrolled it.

Dear Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Namine, and Xion,

Hope this finds you well. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that there are still Heartless and Nobodies roaming around, but in less numbers than before. Good to know that defeating Xemnas helped in that regard. The good news is that Takuya's journey in his own world is over. You can pick him up on the way to Disney Castle. There have been some startling developments since we last saw you and it's best to explain in person, should the wrong people find this letter. I know it seems like we just got finished with one adventure, only for another to start, but I guess that's the life a Keyblade Warrior for you. I've sent Donald and Goofy to pick you guys up shortly, so be prepared to say goodbye properly to your families this time. I don't know when we'll be able to return. I'll fill you in once you get here.

Your friend,

King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle.

"Uh oh," said Roxas, "Looks like we're not done yet."

"When are we ever?" replied Sora, "We can do this, together."

"Right," said Xion, the shiest of the group.

Having such origins as hers, she felt closest to each of them in different ways. To Sora and Kairi, kind of like her own parents, due to her creation. To Namine, a special friend that loves to draw. To Roxas, and by extension Axel, brothers through the adventures they had together in the Organization. Riku was different. He was there for her in a time of identity crisis. She didn't know if it was love, but she would be patient to find out what it really is.

(AN15)

So, everyone made their way home, Roxas living with Sora, Namine and Xion living with Kairi, and Riku went to his home alone. Namine and Xion were easily enough explained: Long lost triplets of Kairi. The hair made it easier to pull off. As for Roxas, that took a more complicated story. They made their preparations for the next step in their journey, hopefully with a better note that the last one.

(AN16)

(Story End)

Well guys, that's it. If you're wondering why all the Digimon cutscenes now, I felt a montage was in order for some of Takuya's key moments. Especially at the end there, when he finally gives up just before Agunimon reminds him of why he needs to fight harder than ever. I know I've still got a lot of explaining to do, so I'm just going to defer to the Author Notes.

P.S. I apologize about the lateness of this. My grandfather passed away last week, and what with work and other stuff, it took me longer to get back to this and finish it than I wanted to.

(Author Notes)

AN1: This part of the game continues as normal. Just watch any let's play, or walkthrough of this part of the game if you want to watch it.

AN2: The castle isn't as big as it's made out to be when you can fly around it that easily.

AN3: Well, if you like spoilers, or have already played the end of Birth by Sleep, you can tell how it would be hard for Xemnas to remember all that.

AN4: Or lack there of. I mean, has he had any training for that? He just jumps on and is suddenly a master pilot? I don't think so.

AN5: Well, literally summon if you think about it. This is where the charms come into play. Now things go screwy without even trying.

AN6: Well, what do you think: Twilight Form for Final Drive? Having Roxas, Xion, and Namine's hair and Anti-Sora's shadowy wisps of smoke. Kinda balances everything out, right? In addition to Way to Dawn and Destiny Place Keyblades, it shouldn't be too bad.

AN7: The Spirits aren't affected by the spell, so Ranamon had full teasing rights over Agunimon, but decided not to say anything due to the others being around.

AN8: This is Seraphimon's voice, if you couldn't tell.

AN9, 11-13: This is part of a montage for Takuya's side. Sort of a catch up in overdrive.

AN10: Well, he may not remember it, but he has had battles where it was tough to see an opponent and he had to use his other senses as well. Sora used this in Beast's Castle.

AN14: See AN9, but with Takuya's POV this time.

AN15: I may be a Riku/Xion fan, but that doesn't mean it's automatic in the fic.

AN16: Well, cliffhanger I know, but that's how it's handled in the game. As for the letter, I knew I couldn't copy the letter word for word if I tried, so, I having this in instead. Forget Sora leaving Kairi behind again, everyone's together and that's that!

RDF1: Well, thanks for joining us on this adventure.

LR: Yep, be sure to tune in as the finale of DBZ being posted up next month!

Dx: I was going to say that, newbie! Here's how it done: Stay tuned to see if RDF1 can finish up his DBZ fic in time for New Years! (LOL)

RDF1: That's why he's my most annoying OC.

LR: Good thing I'm not him.

Jenny: Good thing, I wouldn't want to have to punish you.

Jenny grabs DragonX and drags him away for 'punishment'. (Actual punishment, almost like torture, but nothing sexual.)

RDF1: One more thing. Actually several, but all covered by one thing.

LR: What's that?

RDF1: AMVs: Animated Music Videos. Particularly for a few characters:

Takuya – I'm Not Afraid, by Eminem

Jaden and Yubel/Greg House and Lisa Cuddy – Just Gonna Stand There and Watch Me Burn, by Eminem

Sora – Son of Man

Jeri's relationship with Takato, particularly after the Megidramon incident - Impossible, by Shontelle

Jun's 'addiction' to Matt - Your Love is My Drug

Any Gogglehead/Gogglehead interest (such as Tai/Davis/Takato/Takuya and Sora/(possibly)Mimi/Kari/Jeri/Rika/Zoey) - I'm still here

Aang/Katara - In My Head

And a few others I can't think of right now.

I've seen a few, but I haven't seen ones made for some of the others. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places, but it would be good for someone to make these. Yubel's craziness and enjoyment of pain would be a great point to make for this song. And House and Cuddy kind of have that relationship where a Tornado meets a Volcano. Nearly always meet with explosive results.

Hope everyone had a good time at least at one point.

Later,

RDF1


End file.
